'He is one shot away from returning to form'- Babar Azam gets backing from his teammate to be among runs again

Babar Azam (Source: Twitter)

Pakistan finally got their first taste of success in the match against the Netherlands by skittling them out for 91-9 in their 20 overs. Shadab Khan was the wrecker-in-chief for the Men in Green as he picked 3-22 in his four-over spell. Mohammad Wasim Jr also picked 2-15 in his three overs. Pakistan chased down the target in just 13.5 overs. Mohammad Rizwan top scored with 49 off 39 balls with five fours in the chase.

Babar Azam has had a horrible time in the 20-20 World Cup 2022 so far scoring 8 runs and a duck in three innings. Due to his dip in form, he has been under heavy scrutiny from former Pakistan cricketers for his inability to deliver. However, he has found someone to lean on in Pakistan leg- spinner Shadab Khan. He came to Babar’s defence and said that all concerns about his form should be set aside as he is a “world-class player”.

He is human also - Shadab Khan on Babar Azam

"He is a world-class player, no doubt, but he is human also. Sometimes, he makes mistakes, but he is our leader; he is our best captain. He supported us, so we have to support him now. It's just three games; no one should worry about his form because he is a world-class player," Cricket Pakistan quoted Shadab as saying during the post-match press conference.

"He is one shot away from returning to form. Like Rizwan today, he scored runs. So hopefully, Babar scores for us in the next game. The next game is a big one, so hopefully, he will score runs for the team," he added. Pakistan have been overdependent on Babar and Rizwan at the top of the order.

Pakistan were defeated by India by four wickets in the last ball thriller at the Melbourne Cricket Ground and in Perth, they lost to Zimbabwe by a 1-run margin. The main problem with the Men in Green has been middle-order collapses which have cost them in both games. They will want to play well against South Africa to get their second win on the trot.