Pakistan’s captain Babar Azam has expressed support for his vice-captain Shadab Khan following a subpar performance in the five-match T20I series against New Zealand.
In the final T20I between Pakistan and New Zealand, Shadab failed to catch Chapman in the 14th over when he had scored 67 runs. This allowed the New Zealand player to achieve his first T20I century, helping the Black Caps secure a 2-2 series draw.
“Occasionally, these things happen. Shadab is experiencing a rough patch, but a talented cricketer can bounce back from difficult times. This has happened before, and hopefully, Shadab will seize the opportunity in the upcoming series,” Babar said after the fifth T20I.
Throughout the series, Shadab Khan struggled with both bat and ball, conceding 29 runs in two overs during one match. Babar, however, maintained that no player drops a catch intentionally.
The Pakistani captain also defended opening batsman Mohammad Rizwan, who, in an effort to score his second T20 hundred, didn’t fully capitalize on the final few overs. Babar acknowledged that they could have scored an additional 15-20 runs, but credited Rizwan’s batting for bringing Pakistan close to 200.
Regarding his decision not to use Iftikhar’s bowling against two left-handed batters, Babar explained that he preferred to rely on his strongest bowling options.
Babar continually evaluates his in-game decisions, aiming to learn from mistakes and make better choices in the future. He dismissed the notion that Eid holidays impacted the Pakistani cricketers’ performance, emphasizing their professionalism.
Looking forward to the upcoming one-day series, Babar mentioned that some new players will join the team, and they hope to make the most of the series and secure a victory.
