Legendary fast bowler and former Pakistan captain Wasim Akram has weighed in on Pakistan’s batting strategy for the highly anticipated ICC Champions Trophy 2025. Akram shared his thoughts on the batting positions of stalwarts like that of Babar Azam and white-ball captain Mohammad Rizwan. His remarks come at a crucial time as Pakistan finalizes its squad and batting approach for the prestigious tournament.
Wasim Akram’s perspective on Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan
Sharing his thoughts during a media interaction, Akram expressed confidence in Babar’s ability to excel as an opener and explained why he believes the star batter should take on this crucial role.
“I would like to see [Mohammad] Rizwan as a middle-order batter and maybe ask Babar to open the innings. Babar has a brilliant technique. If he plays 50 overs and scores a hundred, the batting will revolve around him,” Akram was quoted as saying by The Express Tribune.
Akram’s suggestion comes in the wake of Babar stepping up as an opener during Pakistan’s recent Test series against South Africa, where he replaced the injured Saim Ayub and impressed with a well-compiled half-century alongside Shan Masood. Given his ability to anchor the innings while maintaining a solid scoring rate, many experts now see Babar as an ideal candidate to partner Fakhar Zaman at the top in the Champions Trophy 2025.
Pakistan’s squad announcement for the Champions Trophy 2025
On January 31, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) officially announced the 15-member squad for the upcoming tri-nation series and Champions Trophy 2025. The most notable inclusion was the return of aggressive opener Zaman, whose experience at the top will be vital for Pakistan. However, young left-handed batter Ayub was ruled out due to an ankle injury, creating an opening dilemma for the team.
Also READ: Pakistan’s Wasim Akram predicts the winner of Champions Trophy 2025
At the time of the squad announcement, chief selector Asad Shafiq indicated that either Babar or Saud Shakeel could be promoted to open the innings with Zaman, depending on pitch conditions and team requirements. Now, Akram has added his voice to the debate, advocating for Babar Azam’s promotion to the opening slot in the Champions Trophy, citing his exceptional batting technique and ability to construct long innings as key advantages.
A rare ODI experiment in the white-ball cricket
Despite being a prolific batter in ODIs, Babar has rarely opened the innings in this format. In fact, he has done so only twice in ODIs, both in 2015, before cementing his place at No. 3 and No. 4, where he has consistently delivered strong performances.
However, in T20Is, Babar has a wealth of experience as an opener. For more than two years, he and Rizwan formed Pakistan’s most successful T20I opening partnership, accumulating runs at an impressive average. While they were among the most consistent opening pairs in T20 cricket, their conservative approach and relatively low strike rates often drew criticism, leading to their eventual demotion from the opening slot. Now, with the Champions Trophy 2025 approaching, there is renewed debate over whether Babar should be reinstated as an opener in ODIs – this time alongside Zaman.
