Legendary batsman and former T20 World Cup-winning captain, Younis Khan, has offered invaluable advice to the Pakistani skipper Babar Azam, as well Mohammad Rizwan, and Fakhar Zaman, ahead of the highly anticipated T20 World Cup 2024.
Speaking to the media in Karachi, Younis Khan urged players like Babar and Rizwan to accelerate during the middle overs, stressing the importance of maintaining a healthy run rate of 8-9 runs per over post-powerplay. He stated,
In today’s cricket, if a team aims to defend a match, they need to target a score of 200 runs. A total of 170 runs is no longer considered sufficient,
Khan advised Pakistan’s top-order batsmen to concentrate on accelerating their scoring rate after the powerplay, aiming to achieve a par score of 200 at least.
“Babar Azam, Fakhar Zaman, and Rizwan need to step up their game. In the current era, runs can be amassed rapidly, and it’s the responsibility of the players to adopt an aggressive approach,” he emphasized.
Acknowledging the dynamic nature of T20 cricket, Younis Khan stressed the importance of every player being prepared to perform in any given situation or position.
The captain must think innovatively, and players must be willing to step out of their comfort zones collectively.
He added, “Every player should support the captain; relying solely on one individual is not conducive to success because effective strategies require collective input.”
The Pakistan team is presently on tour in Ireland, where they are set to play the first T20I at Clontarf in Dublin today. Subsequent matches are scheduled for May 12 and May 14 at the same venue.
This three-match series in Ireland, followed by four T20Is in England, will serve as vital preparation for the Green Shirts ahead of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024, slated to be held in the West Indies and the United States of America (USA) later this year.
