Babar Azam is undoubtedly one of the best batters in modern-day cricket but he hasn't done justice to his potential in the Test arena of late. After another dismal campaign against Bangladesh, Pakistan's red-ball coach Jason Gillespie has voiced his support for the right-handed batter, hoping that he would get back among the runs sooner rather than later.
To put things into perspective, the Lahore-born has only managed 317 runs from eight Tests at a paltry average of 21.13, with a highest score of 41 since January 2023. In the ongoing two-match Test series between Pakistan and Bangladesh in Rawalpindi, Babar has registered scores of 0, 22, 31, and 11. On Day 4 of the second Test, he made 11 off 18 balls before being dismissed by Nahid Rana.
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While Gillespie acknowledged Babar's lean patch, he opined that the 29-year-old will soon be able to score big runs for the Asian giants.
“Babar is a quality player, and he’s got a couple of starts. A bit like quite a few of our players, he hasn’t been able to convert starts. But Babar is a world-class player he’s very close, I feel it. I am really confident that we are going to see Babar scoring big runs very soon. He’s too good a player and looking forward to seeing him doing well,” Gillespie said in the press conference after the day’s play," Gillespie said in the press conference after the day’s play.
Want Shaheen Afridi to be at his very best: Jason Gillespie
Pakistan left out their most experienced pacer in the squad, Shaheen Afridi, for the must-win second Test against Bangladesh. While many believed that the left-arm seamer was dropped from the side due to his insipid performances of late, Gillespie explained the exact reason behind his non-selection.
“There are obviously a few things we were hoping Shaheen can work on. He’s obviously had a very eventful time in his personal life as well. So, all that are being considered, we want Shaheen Afridi to be at his very best for as much cricket as possible,” Gillespie said.
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“He’s an all-format player and we have got a heavy schedule. We have to make sure that he’s fit and firing and is bowling at his very best so that he’s able to play as many games as possible for Pakistan,” Gillespie added.
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