White-ball captain Mohammad Rizwan has hinted that Babar Azam could be one of the opening batters for his side in Pakistan’s Tri-Nation Series opener match against New Zealand on February 08.
Pakistan is set to play a tri-nation ODI series against South Africa and New Zealand which is set to return to the international calendar after a long hiatus.
The Men in Green will be missing the opener Saim Ayub for the tri-series and the upcoming Champions Trophy 2025 as he failed to recover from the leg injury.
During the Pakistan’s Champions Trophy squad announcement, it was revealed either Babar Azam or Saud Shakeel will be open the batting for Pakistan alongside Fakhar Zaman during the tournament, which will begin on February 19.
Pakistan captain Mohammad Rizwan’s press conference at Gaddafi Stadium.
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— Pakistan Cricket (@TheRealPCB) February 7, 2025
While asked about the opening combination, the Pakistan skipper Mohammed Rizwan used a popular line on Babar to hint on the opening combination alongside Fakhar.
“Iske jawaab mein woh baat ki thi na, ‘King kar lega’.” (The answer is, there was a line ‘King will do it’.)
While Babar has been impressive while batting at No.3 for Pakistan in the 50-over format, his record is not good as his 1 down stats.
Babar scored only 26 runs in the opener slot, while playing at No. 3, he amassed 5416 runs at an average of 60.17.
Mohammed Rizwan also said that they have picked a best squad for the Champions Trophy and Tri-Nation series will be the ideal way for them to prepare for the ICC event.
“We have the best choice of players so it is an important series and the best preparation for the bigger event, the Champions Trophy,” said Rizwan.
The Tri-Nation Series will begin on February 08 and the finals will be played on February 14.
