Pakistan skipper Babar Azam showcased his exceptional form in the series against Ireland. He played a pivotal role in leading his team to victory in the third T20I, crafting an impressive innings of 75 runs from 42 balls. Notably, he dazzled spectators by smashing four big sixes in a single over during the series decider.
Babar dominates the ICC rankings as the number one ODI batter, third in Tests, and fourth in T20Is. However, despite his stellar performances, the star batter acknowledged facing challenges against certain quality pacers in the world. In a candid conversation, he highlighted the bowlers he finds most difficult to bat against.
Babar Azam ranks pacers according to their difficulty level
During a conversation with the former chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), Ramiz Raja, on a local news channel, Babar was asked to rank several bowlers based on the difficulty he faces when batting against them.
“You have to rate these bowlers according to the difficulty. Jasprit Bumrah, Mitchell Starc, Mark Wood and Pat Cummins,” Raja asked.
Babar rated Pat Cummins as the most challenging, followed by Jasprit Bumrah, Mark Wood, and Mitchell Starc, respectively. He elaborated why the Australian pacer is particularly tough to contend with. The Lahore-born noted Cummins’ ability to trap batters effectively and his strategic approach to dismiss specific batters by bowling in certain areas.
“The way he has, over the years, improved [himself], he will not give you a loose ball. He knows how I can take the wicket of a certain batter by bowling at a certain position. He traps you. He gives you a tough time. He challenges your tempering and technique to the fullest,” Babar told Raja, as quoted by Cricket Pakistan.
The 29-year-old player further remarked that if Cummins delivers a loose ball, he has done it deliberately. Babar emphasized that Cummins doesn’t maintain a consistent pace and can surprise batters by suddenly bowling a very fast delivery, catching them off guard.
“If he does a loose bowl, then I think that he does that intentionally. That is why I rate him highly because he has the ability to take a wicket. He never bowls with a consistent pace, he would normally bowl at 130-135 [kph] and then suddenly bowl you out at 145. So he has that ability to vary his pace. One thing about him is that he will always bowl at hard length if he is bowling at full length, then it is intentional,” he concluded.
Also READ: Twitter erupts as Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan lead Pakistan to series-clinching win over Ireland in 3rd T20I
Impact of the star pacer
The Australian captain possesses impressive bowling statistics across all formats of the game. In Test cricket, Cummins has claimed 269 wickets in 62 matches, conceding 6063 runs at an average of 22.53 and an economy rate of 2.88. In ODIs, he has secured 141 wickets in 88 games, averaging 28.66 with an economy of 5.29. In T20Is, the prolific bowler has taken 57 wickets in 52 matches, with an average of 24.77 and an economy rate of 7.43. Overall, the 31-year-old has amassed a total of 467 international wickets.
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