Former Pakistan captain Misbah-ul-Haq believes that current Pakistan skipper Babar Azam should bat depending on the circumstances at the ICC T20 World Cup 2024 in June. There has been a lot of speculation regarding the right handed batter’s strike rate.

Reflecting on Babar’s remarkable 75 off 42 score against Ireland in the third T20I, Misbah thinks the Pakistani captain can consistently bat explosively.

Misbah-ul-Haq discussed the significance of Babar Azam changing his approach to suit the demands of contemporary T20 cricket.

“We noticed that, when playing Ireland, Babar’s strike rate increased. When the team needs that kind of an innings from him, hopefully, he will bat like that. If an anchor role is necessary, then play it. However, if the team needs you, you must be prepared to play at a strike rate of 200 or even 160–170. If the side is going for 200 runs, Babar needs to make sure he is not batting at a strike rate of 130–140.”

Misbah-ul-Haq was also questioned about if Babar Azam’s strike rate is affected by the criticism he gets from fans and experts. Misbah acknowledged that pressure is difficult to bear, but he thinks skilled athletes utilize it as fuel to answer the critics.

“Outside noise can have an impact on a player. Elite cricket players who have mental toughness find inspiration in constructive criticism,” he continued.

Before heading to the T20 World Cup, Pakistan will play England in a four-match T20I series from May 22 to May 30. The spotlight will be on Babar Azam as he assumed his leadership duties after Shaheen Afridi was sacked as the T20I captain of Pakistan after a single series.

Earlier, Virat Kohli was slammed for his strike rate in T20 cricket. He was lambasted by former players for his scoring rate in the ongoing Indian Premier League 2024.

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