Adam Gilchrist Opposes Shahid Afridi’s Advice for Babar Azam

Legendary Australian wicket-keeper batter, Adam Gilchrist, has opposed Shahid Afridi’s suggestion to Babar Azam for stepping down as an opening batter.

Babar Azam is currently seeing a rough patch in his form as he has managed only 39 runs off 63 balls in the T20 World Cup 2022 so far. The star batter has failed to score runs, failing to provide good starts to the Pakistani innings. Seeing the situation, many experts have suggested Babar Azam leave the opening slot and come in to bat at no.3.

Former cricketer, Shahid Afridi, also favored the promotion of young and aggressive Mohammad Haris to open the innings along with Mohammad Rizwan. After Pakistan qualified for the semi-finals, Shahid Afridi tweeted mentioning Babar Azam, “We need firepower at the top with batters who are showing clear intent like Haris and Shadab. Please consider Haris opening with Rizwan and you [Babar] one down followed by your next best hitter. You should be rigid on winning the match and flexible on a balanced batting lineup.”

When asked about his views on the matter, Adam Gilchrist totally opposed the idea of Babar Azam’s demotion from the opening slot as he hoped that the star batter would soon make a strong comeback. Adam Gilchrist told a reporter, “Oh no, I think he [Babar] is an opening batter, his record is excellent. He’s having a challenging time but I think he’s a good enough player to come out on top, he is a wonderful player.”

Talking about the expected outcome of the semi-finals, Adam Gilchrist said that Pakistan has fought well to win the spot and it is hard to predict the favorites at this stage as all teams look good.