Afridi wants Babar to come out of average mindset and think big

Former Pakistani all-rounder Shahid Afridi urged national cricket captain Babar Azam on Wednesday to think big when it comes to handing opponents goals.

The remark was made in response to Babar's statement prior to Pakistan's match against Bangladesh in the ongoing tri-series in Christchurch, in which the skipper stated that he was considering setting a goal of 160 runs for The Tigers to pursue.

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"Babar must come out of this average mindset and think big," Afridi said.

The 42-year-old all-rounder, who is known for his powerful batting style, said that the batting team's big plans could put a lot of pressure on the other team if it "comes out with plans to put a big total on the scoreboard while standing on the wicket."

"If scoring 160 runs for the target against Bangladesh was his ‘big intent’ then what is he going to do against stronger teams," the star player added.

Afridi also said that the country should thank Allah for wicketkeeper-batsman Mohammad Rizwan, who is currently the best T20 batter in the world.

"The actual thing is the beginning. Babar and Rizwan should score chunk of runs [for other batters]," he said.

Afridi said that Rizwan "shouldn't listen to anyone" with the way he was playing right now.