The Pakistan coach has labelled the Big Bash as an ‘opportunity’ for Babar Azam to work on two key areas of his batting
Pakistan superstar and Sydney Sixers recruit Babar Azam has been encouraged to use the Big Bash to improve his T20 batting if he wants to play another international in the format.
The former Pakistan captain has not played a T20I since December, when his country toured South Africa.
Despite being the nation’s highest run-scorer in the format, Babar was not selected for next month’s T20 Asia Cup in the UAE.
Pakistan coach Mike Hesson said the BBL was an opportunity for the Sixers’ prized recruit to boost his strike rate and develop his batting against spin.
“There’s no doubt Babar’s been asked to improve in some areas around taking on spin and in terms of his strike rate,” said Hesson.
“A player like Babar has an opportunity to play in the BBL and show he’s improving in those areas in T20s.
“Those are things he’s working really hard on.
“He’s too good a player not to consider.”
Across 128 T20 internationals, Babar has amassed 4223 runs at a strike rate of 129.22.
His record also includes 39 innings where he has scored 50 or more runs for Pakistan.
This is a feat he has achieved eight more times than the next best player, new Melbourne Renegades recruit Muhammad Rizwan, who also won’t feature at the Asia Cup.
Playing just the five T20I matches in 2023, Babar achieved a career-best strike rate of 146.06.
However off the back of playing 24 of these fixtures last year, Babar’s strike rate for 2024 dipped to 133.21.
While Hesson has not definitively ruled out a return for Babar, the Pakistan coach did admit that the team’s management had focused on picking players who had performed in the nation’s recent T20I series.
“Sahibzada Farhan has played six games and won three player of the match awards,” he said.
“At the moment the players we have, have done exceptionally well.”
In Australia, Babar has played 13 T20I matches for just 286 runs at a strike rate of 114.85.
However in a boost to the confidence of all Sydney Sixers fans, the SCG has seen some success for the Pakistan icon.
In the four T20 internationals he’s played at his new home ground, Babar has made two half-centuries, including the night he steered Pakistan into the T20 World Cup Final in 2022.
Babar is set to make his Big Bash debut in the BBL|15 season opener on December 14, when the Sydney Sixers travel to Western Australia to take on the Perth Scorchers at Optus Stadium.
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