Pakistan’s white-ball captain Babar Azam has confirmed his batting position for the first T20I against England which will be played at Headingley Cricket Ground, Leeds, on May 22.
Azam, 29, held a press conference on Tuesday where he talked about the previous series against Ireland. He also confirmed that he will bat at number three which means that Mohammad Rizwan will most likely open the innings with Saim Ayub.
“I think you should wait till tomorrow, but I will play at number three most likely,” Azam said when asked about his batting position for first T20I.
“The thing is that sometimes you end up conceding runs, but you should see that those bowlers who leaked runs [against Ireland], also provided us breakthroughs. There were times when it was certain that Ireland would score 200 but we managed to halt them.”
The 29-year-old then added that the bowlers are conceding runs but they know how to make a comeback and execute a plan as they are some of the best bowlers in the world. He also confirmed that Haris Rauf has recovered and will be in action against England.
“Yes, we are making some mistakes in patches but we have talked about this in detail and we have experienced bowlers who are the best in the world as well, so they know how to execute plans and bowl accordingly. They also know how to come back after a bad performance," he said.
"We have been given clear for Haris [Rauf]. He is available for the series and you all will see him [in action]."
Remember, the first T20I in Leeds is likely to be affected by rain. According to BBC weather, heavy rain along with a gentle breeze is expected throughout the day.
Light showers will start in the morning and the intensity will increase during the day and will remain till 7 pm local time. After that, light showers will once again continue.
As things stand, the first T20I will likely be called off without a single ball played. However, things will be much clearer by tomorrow morning.
Schedule of Pakistan’s Tour of England
May 22: First T20I at Leeds
May 25: Second T20I at Birmingham
May 28: Third T20I at Cardiff
May 30: Fourth T20I at The Oval
- Babar Azam