PAK vs NZ: Babar Azam Confirms That He Will Open The Batting With Mohammad Rizwan

Pakistan National Cricket Team captain Babar Azam has confirmed that he will be opening the batting with wicket-keeper Mohammad Rizwan in the upcoming T20I series against New Zealand.

Pakistan will play NZ in the 1st T20 of the 5-match series tonight, April 14 in Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium.

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In a recent press conference ahead of the series, Babar Azam confirmed that he and the team management will not be experimenting with the opening duo as he and Rizwan will open the batting as usual.

Also read: PAK vs NZ: ‘Babar Azam Didn’t….’- Usman Qadir’s Huge Take On Pakistan Skipper After Being Ignored From New Zealand Series

“There is no such plan currently to experiment with the opening pair. We will continue with my opening partnership with Rizwan,” Babar told.

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The Pakistani skipper did suggest that the rest of the batting order is not set in stone, as it is yet to be decided. He said –

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“After that, we will decide which player is suitable for what number in the batting order. We will announce the playing XI for first T20I after practice tonight.”

Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan did miss the most recent T20I series against Afghanistan. With several young players in the squad, it became Pakistan’s first bilateral series loss to their neighbors to the northwest.

Babar Azam to play young players in the middle order

During the same press conference, Babar Azam revealed that he will play young batters like Saim Ayub and Mohammad Haris in the middle order against New Zealand.

20-year-old Ayub made his debut for the national team in the aforementioned series against Afghanistan. He impressed onlookers with his performance for Peshawar Zalmi, scoring 341 runs in 12 innings with a strike rate of 165.5.

While 22-year-old Haris has a little more international experience, as he made his limited overs debut for Pakistan in June 2022 against West Indies> He was also in contention for the team going to the 2022 T20 World Cup, but was not taken.

Speaking about how the young players in the team approach the game, Babar Azam said –

“The good thing about these youngsters is that they aren’t worried about their batting positions. All they say is tell us the plan what is required for the betterment of the team.”

Also read: PAK vs NZ: New Zealand Squad Arrives In Pakistan Ahead Of Limited-Overs Series

Babar Azam and Pakistan will look to shine against New Zealand, with the Asia Cup and the ODI World Cup still to come this year.

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