Renowned commentator and former Pakistani cricketer Ramiz Raja has brought attention to a significant weakness in the batting of the Pakistani team's captain, Babar Azam, which has resulted in his underwhelming performance during the ongoing 2023 World Cup.
According to the veteran cricketer, Azam encounters difficulties when facing spin bowlers in the initial stages of his innings, a problem that Raja believes can be addressed by incorporating the sweep shot into his arsenal.
In Raja's words, "If you analyze his batting, his struggle is most evident when he faces spin bowlers at the beginning of his innings. He doesn't exhibit the same fluency as he does when confronted with fast bowlers. I'm not sure if it's an issue with his footwork, a mental hurdle, or his reluctance to play the sweep shot. On slower pitches, the sweep shot is a valuable tool."
Raja went on to explain that every time Azam has attempted to be aggressive, he has often gotten out at the wrong time, causing his confidence to fluctuate. Raja's advice to Azam is to focus on building his innings steadily, facing both pace and spin, to feel comfortable in his role.
While Azam may not be entirely out of touch and is still making good contact with the ball, he appears somewhat jittery when he confronts spin at the start of his innings. During the tournament, spinners have dismissed Azam in five out of seven games, with the 29-year-old accumulating a total of 216 runs, including three half-centuries, at an average of 30.85.
After a string of four consecutive losses, Pakistan made a remarkable comeback, defeating Bangladesh by seven wickets in the 31st match of the ongoing 2023 World Cup at Eden Gardens, Kolkata, India, on Tuesday.
Pakistan's next crucial match is against New Zealand on November 4th in Bengaluru. To keep their chances of reaching the event's semi-finals alive, the Pakistani team must win this match at all costs.