Harsha Bhogle questions Babar Azam’s initial effectiveness in T20 cricket

Indian commentator Harsha Bhogle has questioned the effectiveness of Pakistan limited-overs captain Babar Azam during the early part of his Twenty20 International (T20I) career.

While speaking on the podcast ‘Red Inker with Jarrod Kimber’, the Indian commentator said that strike rate should be given more importance than batting average in Twenty20 cricket.

“For the major part of his first two or three years, Babar Azam had a batting average of 50 or 55 but a strike rate of 120. If you are playing with a strike rate of 110 or 115 in T20 cricket, the longer you bat, the more you are ensuring your team’s defeat,” said Bhogle.

“Suddenly the batting average is running contrary to what batting average does in any other form of cricket,” he added.

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Last week, Pakistan’s legendary all-rounder Shahid Afridi, in an interview, revealed that he initially believed that Azam could only survive in Tests and One-day Internationals (ODIs) but not in T20Is.

“I thought Babar Azam would survive in Tests and ODIs but not in T20Is. This was my opinion. But the way that guy has polished and groomed himself. The shots he plays. It depends on the goals you set yourself. It is always hard work. I can’t just keep thinking that I want to be like AB de Villiers or Virat Kohli. If you don’t work hard enough it can never be possible. In order to achieve any goal you always have to work hard,” Afridi said.

The Lahore-born batsman is currently on the number one spot in the International Cricket Council (ICC) rankings for T20I batsmen.