Babar Azam is having a tough time on the cricket field for quite some time. Even the decision to step down as the captain of the team has not changed his fortunes as it was evident from his batting display in the three-match Test series against Australia.
He did not score a single half-century in Tests in 2023 and failed to regain his form in Australia as well. The right-handed batsman batsman finished the series with 126 runs, scored at an average of 21. Babar Azam would have desperately wanted to make a good and positive start in the ongoing five-match T20I series against New Zealand but ended up dropping an easy catch in the first T20I.
Babar Azam drops Kane Williamson:
Shaheen Afridi won the toss and opted to bowl first. The captain led from the very front by dismissing Devon Conway for a duck in the very first over of the game. After the early setback, New Zealand managed just six runs in the first two overs before Finn Allen smashed Afridi for 24 runs in the third over.
Allen hit a six in the fourth over as well to help his side collect 11 runs and race away to 43 runs after 4 overs. Pakistan had the opportunity to claw their way back into the game in the fifth over when Kane Williamson miscued his shot towards long-on but Babar Azam ended up dropping an easy catch. It was a regulation catch but the former Pakistan captain failed to hold on to it.
Watch:
WHAT WAS THAT BABAR !#PAKvsNZ pic.twitter.com/ENz4PKk4ae
— 🅣🅑🅐🅩🅐🇵🇸 (@azatb3654) January 12, 2024
The drop proved costly as Williamson went on to score a half-century. The New Zealand captain was batting on 9 when Babar Azam dropped him and was eventually dismissed for 57 runs. His knock came off 42 balls and contained nine fours.
Talking about the game, New Zealand were on 183 for 4 after 16 overs. Daryl Mitchell was batting on 61 off 27 balls while Mark Chapman was unbeaten on 5.
