Mahela Jayawardena requests Babar Azam to treat captaincy, batting separately

• Mahela Jayawardena requests Babar Azam to treat captaincy, batting separately.
• One of the most reliable T20I batters of his time experienced a rare slip-up.
• Jayawardena once more blamed Babar’s bad behavior on the occasion.

ISLAMABAD: According to Sri Lankan legend Mahela Jayawardena, Babar Azam, Pakistan’s skipper and star batter, has recently been in poor form, which is a small “worry” for Pakistan coming into the T20 World Cup.

Pakistan lost to Sri Lanka in the Asia Cup final thanks to Babar, who scored just 68 runs in six innings.

One of the most reliable T20I batters of his time experienced a rare slip-up, and it cost him the top spot in the MRF Tyres ICC Men’s T20I batters rankings.

Mohammad Rizwan, Babar’s teammate and opening partner, currently maintains that coveted position with Babar at No. 3 behind Aiden Markram of South Africa.

On The ICC Review, Jayawardena said, “The way Babar has been batting the last two years, for him to have a tournament like that is concerning.” “However, I believe he is still a good player.

“Probably because India and Pakistan didn’t play each other all that often and it was part of an Asia Cup. Therefore, I would argue that maybe he felt a little bit of the pressure. However, he is still a good player.

Because Rizwan and him at the top are a very, very reliable opening combo, Pakistan did miss him with the bat. The success Pakistan has experienced over the past two years has been based on this foundation, where all of the major players come in the middle and Babar and Rizwan provide the platform before taking it on.

“That’s something they missed, but all good players experience dry spells occasionally. I have no doubt that he will return, go through his procedures, and return stronger.

Despite Babar’s poor performance—of his 68 runs, 30 came in the championship match against Sri Lanka—Jayawardena didn’t believe the claims that bowlers had identified him.

Instead, Jayawardena once more blamed Babar’s bad behavior on the occasion.

Not really, in my opinion. In this competition, there were a few good balls that caught him out and a few easy dismissals, which may happen, Jayawardena said.

“It’s simply the situation, the time, and everything like that. He will bounce back strongly if you remove him from this tournament and place him in another one; the talent is always there.

Babar is a batter of that type; he will go through the process fiercely and make sure he returns stronger.

Prior to the ICC T20 World Cup, Jayawardena emphasized the importance of preventing “undue pressure” on the Pakistan captain.

When you have a player of his caliber, Jayawardena advised, “Try not to put pressure on him.” “I’m confident that his performance at the Asia Cup and other factors would have been heavily discussed. However, in the weeks running up to the World Cup, you want your best player to be at ease and confident.

So long as they are not exerting excessive pressure on him, that is what matters. Being the team’s best hitter while also serving as captain is a difficult undertaking. He has a responsibility to live up to that.

In fact, according to Jayawardena, Babar needs to keep his captaincy and batting distinct.

“Forget about his captaincy and everything that going into a World Cup – be the best batsman he can be, and then be the captain he has to be out there on the field,” he advised.

Being a good player and then the team captain requires managing these two obligations separately.

Babar is hoping to regain his form during the forthcoming series against England because he is aware that he wasn’t at his best during the Asia Cup.

This series means a lot to me personally, and I’ll work to regain my form, he declared.

“It’s essential to keep things simple and avoid overthinking in order to get through a rough stretch. Maintaining your self-confidence is crucial. I’m confident that I’ve performed well in the past and will continue to do so.

Despite Babar’s performance, Pakistan can take away from the Asia Cup and apply it to the England series and the T20 World Cup.

The most significant one, in my opinion, was the rise of young pacer Naseem Shah, who, although only being 19 years old, showed to be a dependable bowler in the shortest format. The fact that he accomplished this without Shaheen Afridi is extremely commendable.

Naseem took seven wickets at an economy rate of 7.66 in five games. Additionally, he displayed brilliance with the bat, smashing two sixes against Afghanistan that were important to Pakistan’s triumph.

Jayawardena stated, “I’ve been following Naseem for a while now. “Obviously, because of his pace, they have employed him a lot in red-ball and Test match cricket.

They didn’t support him all that much in the white-ball format, but recently, with a lot of cricket being played, he has matured, and the control he displayed, especially with the new ball, picking up wickets, is what’s important.

“With Shaheen Afridi returning and the manner in which Haris Rauf bowled, the Pakistani assault will appear to be much stronger. His bowling was swift.

“They have a really, really good pace unit with the two rookies. Additionally, Naseem has been excellent; I was very satisfied with the way he handled things. The abilities, particularly how quickly he swung the ball back into the right-handers, were impressive.

The conditions in Australia will make those players difficult to handle. If Shaheen and Naseem bowl in tandem from both ends, it will be a nightmare, especially for many opening batters.

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