The ongoing season of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) is drawing to a close, as the group stage ended yesterday, and the playoffs are set to begin from tomorrow, as Multan Sultans and Peshawar Zalmi face off in the qualifier.
Bet here on IPL 2024 and other cricket matches!
However, there has been some focus on the Pakistan national team ahead of this match, as former captain and star batter Babar Azam spoke about not being 'satisfied' during the team's most recent tour of New Zealand.
Tension in Pakistan camp? Star batter Babar Azam opens up on 'dissatisfaction'
When Pakistan travelled to New Zealand earlier this year, it was the first T20 series the side played under the captaincy of Shaheen Shah Afridi, who had taken over from Babar after Pakistan's disappointing World Cup campaign.
The team management trialled a new opening partnership of Mohammad Rizwan and Saim Ayub, with Babar dropping from his usual spot at the top, to number three. According to Times of India, he opened up on this move during a PSL media interaction, saying,
It was the Pakistan team's demand at the time. I did that for Pakistan. If I was asked individually, I wasn't satisfied with the decision to bat at one down position. However, I did that for Pakistan.
Rizwan had also expressed during the tour that he felt Babar was his best opening partner, but that the pair had no issue with the team management trying out new combinations.
Interestingly, Babar opens the batting with Saim Ayub for Peshawar Zalmi, and the pair have been in excellent form this season. They are the highest-scoring partnership in the league, with 516 runs in 9 innings, scoring at nearly 10 runs an over. With all three of these players hitting their stride, it will be interesting to see how Pakistan line up at the T20 World cup this summer.
If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. Sporting News has editorial oversight for this content. Learn more >