Babar Azam is in the limelight again when former South Africa captain Faf du Plessis called on open dialogues between the Pakistan batter and head coach Mike Hesson. Du Plessis reckons that it is only through honest communication that Babar can be able to open his full potential in the contemporary T20 cricket.
The remarks are in response to the situation when Hesson pointed out that Babar faced difficulties during the powerplay of the recent T20 World Cup. His opening innings strike rate was less than a run per ball and this brought about doubts on whether opening is his best position. Hesson opined that Babar would be more adapted to the middle overs where he has the opportunity of anchoring the innings and accelerating at the right time.
Du Plessis emphasized that there should be a match between the coach and the player. Babar is one of the most gifted batters in the world cricket. He must discover a role that enables him to get the greatest impact out of the team and he said. It is concerned with role adjustment and not ability adjustment.
Babar is used to brilliance on the top side but the modern T20 cricket demands the early scoring in the innings. Analysts hold that a change of position may be able to provide consistency and aggression to the team at large.
The discussion also represents a wider movement in the T20 strategy, in which the strengths of the players are maximized by making good planning and communication. To Pakistan, the completion of Babar may be the key in future matches.
