Kane Williamson Praises Resilient Babar Azam Despite ‘Out-of-Form’ Phase

• Williamson praises Babar despite recent struggles.
• Confident in Babar’s world-class skills.
• T20I series starts January 12, 2024.

New Zealand’s cricket captain, Kane Williamson, expressed unwavering confidence in Pakistan’s top batter, Babar Azam, despite the latter’s recent dip in form. As the two teams gear up for a five-match T20I series, Williamson acknowledged Babar’s challenging period but emphasized the batsman’s world-class talent.

Babar Azam, who entered the 2023 World Cup as the top-ranked ODI batsman, faced a decline in performance over the past 12-18 months. Despite the setbacks, Williamson lauded Babar as a “world-class player” and attributed the fluctuations in form to the inherent nature of cricket.

“He [Babar] is a world-class player. Cricket comes with a full range of feeling and emotions, and part of it is navigating each day and looking to improve. He is one of the best players in the world, and I am sure he will be doing that, and that doesn’t change overnight. We know he is a big threat,” stated Williamson during the press conference.

Babar Azam, who recently stepped down as the captain across formats after the 2023 ODI World Cup, will be eager to regain his form in the upcoming T20I series against New Zealand.

Reflecting on Pakistan’s consistent formidable challenge, Williamson recalled their past encounters, highlighting the Men in Green’s triumph in the tri-series preceding the 2022 T20 World Cup. Despite facing challenges, Williamson expressed excitement about the upcoming series, acknowledging Pakistan as one of the best teams globally in all conditions.

“Pakistan is always a fantastic opportunity. They are consistently one of the best teams in the world and in all conditions, so to have them here in our backyard and having another contest is great. We played a tri-series prior to the last World Cup. They won that, and they obviously went a long way in that competition as well, and so we know how strong they are as a team,” added Williamson.

The T20I series between New Zealand and Pakistan is set to commence on January 12, 2024, at Eden Park, Auckland, providing an intriguing contest between two cricketing powerhouses.

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