October 09, 2022
Former Pakistan bowler Aaqib Javed has said that the Pakistani team should address its ongoing middle-order problem by bringing skipper Babar Azam into the middle order.
The Lahore Qalandars coach said that the skipper should bat at number 4 as it will give confidence to other batters.
"A performing captain like Babar Azam should bat where Pakistan is currently facing a crisis and that is middle order," the ex-pacer said.
The Pakistani team has been facing a crisis in the middle order since the recently concluded Asia Cup. In their ongoing tri-series, the team tried a new technique as they promoted Shadab Khan and Mohammad Nawaz up the order.
"Sending Shadab Khan and Mohammad Nawaz up the order is not the permanent solution for the middle order crisis of Pakistan," Javed noted.
Former Pakistani skipper Mohammad Hafeez also said that the decision to promote Shadab and Nawaz was not a permanent solution.
However, speaking after beating New Zealand in the second match of the tri-series at Hagley Oval, Babar said the team planned to utilise Shadab and Mohammad up in the batting order was part of the team's strategy.