Ramiz Raja Slams Pakistan Team Management For Demoting Babar Azam To No.3 In T20Is

Former Pakistan batter Ramiz Raja has lashed out at the Pakistan team management for tinkering with the successful opening pair of Mohammad Rizwan and Babar Azam in T20Is.

Ramiz Raja criticised the team management after Pakistan’s struggle in the ongoing five-match T20I series against New Zealand. The Men in Green have conceded the series after losing the first three games. In all three games, their new opening combination of Rizwan and Saim Ayub failed to fire.

In the first game, the openers added 33 runs for the opening wicket as Pakistan suffered a crushing loss of 46 runs while chasing an improbable 47. In the second game, Ayub and Rizwan could add only 8 runs for the first wicket as New Zealand won the game by 21 runs while defending 194. In the must-win third T20I, the duo added 23 runs for the first wicket as Pakistan finished on 179/7 while chasing 225.

Ramiz Raja slams Pakistan team management:

With the move to demote Babar Azam at number three in order to make room for Ayub at the top not working, Ramiz Raja has come down hard on the Pakistan team management. Speaking on his YouTube channel, the former PCB chief questioned the rationale behind breaking a successful opening partnership while also highlighting the important continuity.

“So much pressure was created to break the opening pair of Babar and Rizwan. After breaking the opening partnership, it was evaluated based on the strike rate. When you bring in new players, they may perform well in leagues, but international cricket is a different beast where there is pressure, and the focus of the entire world is on you. You broke the opening pair that was famous worldwide,” said Ramiz Raja.

“Either you have workshop of trained openers behind you who are gradually being introduced, when you have no other options. It takes time to form an opening pair. It’s not an easy task. So, if you have a pair, and they consistently kept you in the field during matches, what benefit did you get after breaking it?” he added.

Meanwhile, Babar has done well at no.3. In all three games of the series so far, he scored half-centuries although he is yet to play a match-winning knock. With the series already lost, Pakistan would be desperate to get back to winning ways to finish on a high.