Pakistan's leading run-scorer in T20Is, Babar Azam is set to make his T20I return against South Africa. However, he won’t get his opening spot back, a position where he has scored majority of his T20I runs. Pakistan head coach Mike Hesson said that Babar was recalled as Fakhar Zaman intended to play first-class cricket to prepare for the ODI series against South Africa and the team management allowed him a break from first-class cricket.
"That's created an opportunity for another top-order player and it's a great opportunity to get Babar back into the squad," Hesson said as quoted by PTI.
"He's likely to bat at three so it's a role that I'm very confident that he'll be able to do well, and it also gives our squad some options coming into the World Cup."
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While Zaman won’t feature in the T20Is, he has been named as one of the two reserves alongside Haris Rauf.
Babar gets fifty in Rawalpindi
Babar recently ended his fifty drought in Test cricket with a 50-run knock in a losing cause in Rawalpindi Test.
Babar set for major milestone
As he takes the field on October 28, he will have a chance to rewrite record books. He needs nine more runs to break India's T20 World Cup 2024-winning captain's record for most T20I runs. So far, the 31-year-old has 4,223 runs from 128 T20Is at an average of 39.83 and strike rate of 129.22. He has three centuries and 36 fifties in his T20I career.
Babar’s T20I record at no.3
At no.3, Babar has batted 32 times in T20Is. He has 1,166 runs at an average of 44.84 and strike rate of 127.85 at no.3, featuring 11 fifties. With the experienced campaigner batting at no.3, Pakistan are likely to retain their opening combination – Saim Ayub and Sahibzada Farhan.
Babar’s T20I numbers against South Africa
Babar has a decent T20I record against South Africa, scoring 447 runs at an average of 34.48 and strike rate of one century. His T20I career-best 122 came against the Proteas. He has two half-centuries against them as well.