National Team Still Needs To Improve In Certain Areas: Babar Azam

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National team still needs to improve in certain areas: Babar Azam

The skipper says we still lose wickets in clusters in the middle which puts us on the back foot.

MULTAN: (UrduPoint/Pakistan Point News-June 14th, 2022) Pakistan Skipper Babar Azam believed his side still have plenty of work to do if they wanted to ensure automatic qualification for next year's tournament and claim a second 50-over World Cup title in India.

"We still need to improve in certain areas," Babar said following the series victory that helped Pakistan rise past India and into fourth place on the latest Men's MRF Tyres ODI Team Rankings.

"We still lose wickets in clusters in the middle which puts us on the back foot.

"Here the players need better concentration; it's an area to work on.

"The fielding has improved, but our body language still deteriorates when a good partnership develops, and it's another thing we can try and improve."

Pakistan's recent upsurge is much to do with Babar's own form with the bat, with the No.1 ranked ODI batter in the world recently becoming just the second player to score three consecutive one-day centuries on two separate occasions.

But Babar knows he requires contributions from the entire side for Pakistan to thrive and the right-hander was buoyed by some of his team-mates performances during the series against West Indies.

Opener Imam-ul-Haq hit three consecutive half-centuries and was deservedly awarded Player of the Series, while Shadab Khan and Mohammad Nawaz took seven scalps apiece to be the joint leading wicket-taker.

Babar was also impressed with the powerful hitting of Khushdil Shah as the 27-year-old continues to make a name for himself in the final overs of an innings.

"Bench strength always gives you a lift," Babar noted.

"Knowing you have players on the bench who are ready to use is good to know.

"We had Iftikhar (Ahmed), Abdullah Shafique and (Shahnawaz) Dahani on the bench.

"We tried a different bowling combination and they performed very well.

"It's very satisfying as a captain to see that,".

Abdullah Hussain

Abdullah Hussain is a staff member who writes on politics, human rights, social issues and climate change.