T20 World Cup 2022: “Babar Azam is an amazing player” – AB de Villiers backs underfire Pakistan captain ahead of PAK vs SA

AB de Villiers has come out in support of underfire Pakistan skipper Babar Azam after his poor form at the T20 World Cup ahead of their upcoming fixture against South Africa. The former Proteas skipper is quite impressed with Babar’s rise in international cricket and labeled him an amazing player to watch while batting.

Babar, however, has been on the receiving end after managing just eight runs in three matches so far at the showpiece T20 event in Australia.

He departed for a duck against India before getting dismissed at identical scores of four runs each against Zimbabwe and the Netherlands.

Speaking on his YouTube channel, as quoted by Cricket Pakistan, AB de Villiers said:

"Babar Azam is an amazing player. I watched him play for the first time, saying this boy can play. He is a fantastic addition to Pakistan's success, and it's great to see young generations taking ownership."

The World No.4 T20I batter will look to deliver in the upcoming match and shut down his critics in style. He also enjoys a very good record against South Africa in T20Is, scoring 410 runs in 10 matches, including a century and a couple of fifties.

As captain, the 28-year will also be keen to guide Pakistan to victories in the remaining fixtures to keep themselves afloat in the competition.

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“Batting side of Pakistan has always been a problem” – AB de Villiers admits Pakistan too reliant on Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan

AB de Villiers also mentioned that Pakistan are too reliant on their openers, Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan.

The statement comes after Pakistan’s batting unit struggled against arch-rivals India and Zimbabwe. The Men in Green lost both those matches following the early dismissals of the openers.

The middle order was once again exposed against the Netherlands. Rizwan returned to form with a crucial 49 off 39 balls, but Pakistan lost four wickets to chase a below-par target of 92 runs in 13.5 overs.

Reflecting on Men in Green's batting, AB de Villiers said:

"The batting side of Pakistan has always been a problem; it was never solid enough, it always goes up and down, and I feel they are in a place of consistency because of Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan."

Pakistan will square off against South Africa at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Thursday, November 3. The Proteas are coming off the back of a five-wicket victory against India, making the contest even more intriguing to watch.