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‘Never easy for a captain to focus on his skills’: Legendary Pakistan batter on Babar Azam ahead of IND vs PAK clash
Babar Azam, Pakistan's skipper and the number one batter in T20Is, will hold the key for his side against India.
The last time when India locked horns with Pakistan, the Men in Blue were thrashed by 10 wickets. The contest was played during the T20 World Cup and almost a year later the stage is once again set for the clash between the heavyweights. India will open their Asia Cup 2022 campaign against Pakistan and both the sides have been sweating hard at the nets.
Babar Azam, Pakistan's skipper and the number one batter in T20Is, will hold the key for his side. The right-handed batter is in top notch form and as per Pakistan's legendary cricketer and current batting coach Mohammad Yousuf, the 27-year-old blooms when put under pressure.
Watch: Rohit Sharma dispatches Ashwin and Jadeja for huge 6s at nets ahead of IND vs PAK blockbuster
"Babar Azam is a world class player and his consistent performance in all three formats from the last three years is the solid proof of his flight. He plays well under pressure, big players are those who perform under pressure. It's never easy for a captain to focus on his skills. In fact, he is performing well in all three formats," said Yousuf on the sidelines of a practice session at the ICC academy in Dubai.
Apart from Azam, the Pakistan batting unit boasts of other equally talented names in the form of Mohammad Rizwan and Fakhar Zaman. The last time Pakistan played India, it was Rizwan and Azam, who stitched a solid 152-run stand, with the former scoring an unbeaten 79 off just 55 balls.
However, one notable absentee from the Pakistan camp is Shaheen Shah Afridi, the pacer who dismantled the Indian top order the last time the two nations met. A knee injury has ruled the pacer out of the Asia Cup and Pakistan have handed an opportunity to Mohammad Hasnain, who came in the squad as a replacement for Afridi.
