Former Australia cricketer Mark Waugh urged the Sydney Sixers to drop Babar Azam for their upcoming clash against Hobart Hurricanes. The winner of the second qualifier will go on to face Perth Scorchers in the final of the Big Bash League (BBL) so it will be a highly important clash for both the teams.
Babar's dismal BBL campaign
It is safe to say that Babar has had a disappointing debut BBL season as he has so far only scored 202 runs from 11 innings, including a strike-rate of 103.06. He has registered two half-centuries in the campaign so far and has the highest individual score of 58. He had been dismissed for a two-ball duck against the Scorchers in the first qualifier on Tuesday.
Waugh believes that the Sixers need to reshuffle their batting order. He also recommended to bring in either Daniel Hughes or Jordan Silk into the playing XI as the two are well-experienced and can score crucial runs for the team.
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“I think they need a bit of tough love and a rejig in their batting because, right now, it’s almost entirely reliant on Steve Smith. Sam Curran got them out of a tight spot in another game, but he’s gone, and at the moment, there aren’t many players in form. So, I’m looking at bringing in either Daniel Hughes or Jordan Silk,” Waugh told Fox Sports.
“Unfortunately, I’m going to have to drop Babar Azam. I know he’s world-class, but at the top of the order, he hasn’t delivered consistently enough. When you’re thinking about winning this tournament, you need your openers firing, and so far, he just hasn’t done it," he added.
Sixers to change opening pair?
Waugh also said that they can replace Babar as the opener with either Hughes, Silk or Moises Henriques. He feels that this move will noth only strengthen the batting order, but will strengthen the team as a whole and can help them massively in their playoff clash against the Hurricanes on January 23.
“For a new opener, you could go with Moises Henriques or bring in either Hughes or Silk. That’s the way I’m thinking," Waugh further said.