Not a lot has gone proper with the Pakistan cricket staff for the reason that ODI World Cup 2023. The staff’s poor present within the marquee occasion noticed Babar Azam stepping down as captain whereas a plethora of different adjustments had been additionally made within the backroom employees. Mohammad Hafeez was appointed because the nationwide staff director, with the bosses hoping for a change in fortunes, however little went as deliberate, with Pakistan dropping closely on the excursions of Australia and New Zealand. Having seen his tenure as Pakistan’s staff director ending early, Hafeez has now revealed the ‘robust dialog’ he had with Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan throughout his time in cost.

Babar could not ship his finest with the bat within the ODI World Cup and the identical pattern adopted on the tour of Australia and New Zealand too. Hafeez revealed that he requested Babar to bat on the No. 3 spot for the betterment of the staff nevertheless it took him two months to persuade the previous skipper to take action.

“It took me about two months to convince Babar Azam that you have to do it for Pakistan and you are not the first one who’s doing it. You are a great player, you are a wonderful player and you are playing great cricket however you have to develop the Pakistan team. You and Rizwan are very good players, excellent players but you are not the whole team,” Hafeez mentioned on A-Sports.

“We need to develop a team and for that, I want you to come at No. 3 because you have been playing this role in the ODI cricket for the last six years, so it won’t affect you; technically you are very solid. Thank you very much to him that he accepted this and he played for Pakistan at No. 3 which obviously I think is the best way to move,” Hafeez added.

Against New Zealand within the T20Is, Babar took up the No. 3 spot within the staff, with Saim Ayub opening the batting alongside Rizwan. Babar scored 213 runs in 5 matches towards the Kiwis, averaging 42.60.