Team director Mohammad Hafeez has opened up on the debate regarding providing rest to former captain and star batter Babar Azam during the upcoming T20I series in New Zealand.
The 29-year-old only scored 126 runs in the six innings of the Test series in Australia and many former cricketers have recommended that he must rest.
Commenting on batter and former captain Babar the Professor said: "Babar Azam can be rested. Before giving rest to Babar, one has to think about what Babar himself wants."
Hafeez maintained that the management is there for Babar if requires any help.
"Not necessarily to rest, [he] can talk about improving any technique," he said, further praising Babar for being a hard worker and training hard during practice sessions.
The team director also appreciated the former skipper for playing well in matches but maintained that he needs a "big" innings.
"A big innings will restore his confidence. Red ball cricket brings sophistication to the game. A red ball cricketer can play all formats," he added.
Earlier, former Pakistani spinner Mushtaq Ahmed recommended that Babar Azam must take a break amidst his recent poor form, drawing parallels with Indian batter Virat Kohli.
Speaking to a local sports channel, Mushtaq remarked that Kohli takes a break when he's out of form, proposing that Babar should do the same given his recent struggle. Babar has managed to score only 77 runs across four innings in the current series against Australia.
”Across the world, we provide coaching, and when we realize a player is mentally disturbed, we give them a break of 2 or 3 matches. When Virat Kohli was out of form, he took a break, and since then, he hasn't faced the same struggles. The management should have taken ownership and advised Babar to take a rest,” Mushtaq said.
“Babar has given outstanding performances, and he is our hero. He is considered one of the top players in the world. However, he faced challenges such as losing the Asia Cup, and the World Cup, and subsequently losing the captaincy amid rumours and difficulties. Often in our culture, we fail to realise the need for breaks. If I were there, I would have suggested giving Babar some rest,” Mushtaq added.
- Babar Azam
- Mohammad Hafeez
