Pakistan’s newly appointed head coach Gary Kirsten believes that Babar Azam should play his natural game emphasizing the fact that other players should contribute with the bat as well with healthy strike rates to ease the pressure off him.
In a recent interview, former South African cricketer Gary Kirsten emphasized the need for Pakistan’s batting lineup to take responsibility for scoring runs, a burden currently placed on their captain, Babar Azam.
Kirsten suggested that Azam should be allowed to play his natural game, free from the pressure of carrying the team’s run-scoring responsibilities single-handedly.
Kirsten noted that while Babar Azam is undoubtedly one of the premier batsmen in world cricket, the other players in the team must step up and contribute significantly, particularly in terms of maintaining a good strike rate. “I have been in touch with Babar. He has done remarkably well as a cricketer and sort of carries a lot of the weight of that team on his shoulders” Kirsten said.
Kirsten’s comments come at a time when Pakistan’s middle order has faced criticism for its inconsistency in big games and inability to support Azam adequately.
The former Proteas coach highlighted that relying too heavily on one player can be detrimental, especially in high-stakes matches, and that a team cannot become champions with one man carrying them single-handedly.
“That’s not fair on any player but I think that we can unlock that and feel like there’s a big group of guys that can make match-winning contributions, especially in T20 cricket, that will take a lot of pressure off him and I think he’s happy to be back as a captain, so I am looking to working in that relationship with captain and coach.”
The insight from Kirsten could be pivotal for Pakistan as they prepare for upcoming tournaments, with hopes that a more balanced and aggressive batting approach will lead to better team performances and less reliance on their star captain.
The South African will join the Pakistan squad on May 19 in Leeds, the venue where the first of the four-match T20I series against England will be held on May 22.
