Pakistan captain Babar Azam has been in sensational form across formats. The number one ranked batter in limited-overs cricket has led the Men in Green from the front by demolishing bowling attacks with his imperious strokes. With the Asia Cup 2022 hovering around the corner, Team India needs to find a solution to the Azam puzzle in order to boost their chances of exacting revenge after suffering a harrowing defeat against the arch-rivals in the T20 World Cup last year.
The Pakistan skipper has scored over 1,400 runs in 15 international matches this year and is averaging 78.11. He has also smashed two centuries in Tests and three tons ODIs in 2022.
Thus, India's chances of starting their Asia Cup 2022 campaign on a positive note will depend on whether they can keep Azam quiet. Having said that, it's going to be a colossal task for Indian bowlers to restrict the Pakistan captain from scoring runs.
Former New Zealand all-rounder Scott Styris lavished praise on Azam while also suggested a way by which Indian bowlers can succeed against the stylish right-handed batter.
"I'm not so sure. I think what you would say is if India could win, any team could say I'll give you 16 Babar Azams and then you're out. They would take it every day of the week. He is that good. He is the number one man going around," said Styris on Sports18's daily sports show 'Sports Over The Top'.
"Look there's usually what you look to do is to give him a single and get him off strike and bowl the guy at the other end. And I think that's not something new. That's been around for a decade or two, or three decades. So that sort of strategy to Babar Azam, I think he's used to it, and I'm not sure that will work," he continued.
Styris also stated that bowlers need to be 'brave' and 'aggressive' against a top-quality batter like Azam in order to succeed.
"I think you've almost got to be brave. Be a little bit risky and try that magic delivery that you might be a little afraid to bowl, because if you get it wrong, it can go out of the park because it's going to take a special delivery to get somebody like him out in the form that he's in. He's that good player at the moment and that's perhaps the strategy. As it is, I think I'd probably need a few more hours of studying film to work out any genuine weaknesses that he has, but as it is just you've got to be aggressive and go after it," he added.
The Asia Cup 2022 gets underway on August 27 with India and Pakistan scheduled to lock horns on August 28.
