"Either you stop giving him best player awards, or stop talking about his strike rate" - Salman Butt slams Babar Azam's critics

Former Pakistan captain Salman Butt believes the flak Babar Azam has been getting for his strike rate in T20 cricket is unnecessary, given his stellar record in the format.

Butt noted that Babar won the ICC Men's Player of the Year and the Men's ODI Player of the Year awards for 2022. He opined that if Babar's strike rate was such a big issue, he wouldn't have been counted amongst the top batters in world cricket.

The 38-year-old pointed out that Babar has been one of the top contributors with the bat whenever Pakistan have chased down totals in excess of 200 in T20Is in the recent past. Speaking on his YouTube channel, Butt explained:

"Babar Azam's critics have spoken a lot about his performances in T20s. Either you stop giving him best player awards, or stop talking about his strike rate. You can't be criticized for your strike rate and be the world number one at the same time.

"Whenever Pakistan have chased a big total in the recent past, either Babar has scored runs or Rizwan has. It can't be the case that the team has chased a total of 200 and his strike rate wasn't up to the mark."

Notably, Babar is the leading run-getter for Pakistan in the shortest format of the game. The current skipper has amassed 3355 runs in 94 innings at a strike rate of 127.80. He previously occupied the top position in the ICC rankings for T20Is for a record 1,115 days in all.

The champion batter is currently the fourth-ranked batter in the shortest format and Test cricket, while he holds the numero uno position in the ODI rankings.

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"The batters who score big runs do not have a very high strike rate" - Salman Butt defends Babar Azam's scoring rate in T20Is

Salman Butt further emphasized that Babar Azam isn't a finisher, and having a very high strike rate is not imperative for him. He suggested that players who score big runs consistently in T20Is do not have an outstanding scoring rate.

The former opener singled out Team India's Suryakumar Yadav as the only batter to have scored big runs at an impressive strike rate. He, however, reckoned that the Men in Blue star will need to continue doing the same consistently for a few years.

Butt added:

"Babar Azam is not a slogger nor a finisher whose strike rate should be over 160. Yes, there are a few openers in world cricket who are more explosive than him. But at the same time, their technique is compromised. They don't score the amount of runs that Babar does.

"The batters who score big runs do not have a very high strike rate. If there is someone who has done that, then it's Suryakumar Yadav. But we still need to see how long he can continue to do so."

Babar Azam will next be seen in action in the upcoming eighth season of the Pakistan Super League (PSL 2023), beginning on February 13. He will represent a new franchise this time and has been appointed the skipper of Peshawar Zalmi.