New Zealand skipper Kane Williamson has backed underperforming Pakistani batsman Babar Azam to return to form in international cricket soon, describing him as a “World Class player”. The 29-year-old is preparing for the five-match T20 series against New Zealand that begins on Friday.
Babar Azam’s poor performance jeopardized his team’s chances in both the Asia Cup and the ODI World Cup. During the ICC Cricket World Cup, Babar struggled to strike a balance between scoring runs and keeping a consistent tempo in his game. The team’s lack of inspiration prevented them from progressing to the knockout stage.
In a press conference on Thursday, Kane Williamson is confident in Babar Azam’s skills and sees him as a serious threat to New Zealand in the next five-match T20I series, which begins on January 12 in Auckland. The Blackcaps captain acknowledged the wide spectrum of emotions in cricket and emphasized the importance of continuous progress.
“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,” Kane Williamson said.
Following Pakistan’s disappointing 2023 ODI World Cup campaign, Babar Azam stepped down from captaincy in all formats of the game. The Men In Green did not advance to the semi-finals, and Babar had a mixed performance with the bat in the marquee event, accumulating 320 runs in nine innings with four fifties.
They Are Consistently One Of The Best Teams In The World – Kane Williamson
Kane Williamson downplayed the relevance of the red ball form, highlighting Pakistan’s continuous danger in T20 cricket and mentioning past confrontations, notably a tri-series prior to the last World Cup in which Pakistan won.
“Pakistan is always a fantastic opportunity. They are consistently one of the best teams in the world and all conditions, so to have them to have them here in our backyard and having another contest is great.”
“We played a tri-series 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,” Kane Williamson added.
Babar Azam has been an exceptional player for Pakistan in all formats. The right-handed batter is the cornerstone of Pakistan’s fragile batting lineup, which relies largely on his consistency across all three formats. His consistency across all platforms is unparalleled, and he would be keen on recovering his form in international cricket.
