Shoaib Malik Picks Between Saim Ayub and Rizwan to Open with Babar Azam in T20 World Cup 2024

With the T20 World Cup 2024 just around the corner, Pakistan’s opening combination remains a topic of discussion. Veteran all-rounder Shoaib Malik has weighed in, stating Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan, the established opening duo should open for Pakistan.

The Men in Green, unlike the other 19 participants, has yet to finalize its World Cup squad. Their experimentation with various openers throughout recent series against New Zealand and Ireland has drawn criticism, particularly regarding Saim Ayub’s inclusion.

Meanwhile, Shoaib Malik acknowledged Saim Ayub’s aggressive batting style, however, he also believes that this batting approach comes at the cost of inconsistency.

The former Pakistan all-rounder suggested a flexible approach, recommending Saim Ayub for high-scoring matches but favouring the Babar-Rizwan partnership for lower-scoring contests.

“Saim Ayub is a high-risk player,” Malik stated, “and such batters tend to be less consistent. If the matches are high-scoring, Pakistan should open with Saim. But for matches with scores around 160-170, Babar and Rizwan should open.” [Geo News]

Ayub’s recent performances haven’t instilled confidence. In the T20I series against New Zealand, he managed only 52 runs at a meager average of 14.25. While he had a better showing in the Ireland series with 65 runs, his overall average remained low at 21.67.

Meanwhile, Babar and Rizwan re-established themselves as Pakistan’s most reliable batting duo. They recently put a 139-run partnership in the third T20I against Ireland, which was their 10th century stand between them in T20Is (a first for any pair).