2018 PSL 10 is proving too much for Peshawar Zalmi captain Babar Azam, who in his career faces one of the most difficult PSL seasons as distances himself from the tall order set on him. Though one of Pakistan’s strongest and most technically sound batsmen, Babar’s recent performances have triggered Warner-like criticism from fans, former players and analysts so far.
A Golden Opportunity Missed
Zalmi’s heaviest pound in recent battle of Multan Sultans, the team is chasing with the paltry target of 109 — a good environment for Babar to return to form. Instead, he could manage only 8 runs in 13 balls before being yorked by Shahid Aziz an unheralded pacer hitting just his second PSL game. The way in which he was dismissed – slowly and cautiously – showed the wider problem of Babar’s batting methodology at the moment. A Perturbed Drop in Strike Rate What is really worrying is that Babar’s strike rate is plummeting. Thus far in PSL 10, he has tallied 178 runs from 162 deliveries, which means a strike rate of 109.87 – the lowest in this campaign, with at least 100 balls faced, by any top-order batter. As a bouncer with a reputation for holding lineups together and making match-winning over perishing scores, these statistics are concerning. More often than not, the inability of Babar to rotate strike or accelerate as required has most times come under pressure of the middle order.
Opening Woes for Zalmi
Babar is not the only one that suffers. His opening partner, Saim Ayub, who has also failed to give the quick starts, has a strike rate of 117.82 from 101 balls. The lack of momentum in the powerplay overs has contributed massively to Zalmi’s indifferent nature in the tournament.
Top Performers With Least Swings per Induced Ball Batters in PSL 10
- (Min. 100 Balls Faced) Player Team Runs Balls Faced
- Strike Rate Babar Azam PZ 178 162 109.87
- Saim Ayub PZ 119 101 117.82 Saud Shakeel
- QG 180 146 123.28 Hasan Nawaz
- QG 150 116 129.31 Irfan Khan
- KK 131 100 131.00 Hussain Talat PZ 193 146 132.19
- Khushdil Shah KK 182 131 138.93 Mohammad Rizwan
- MS 363 261 139.08 Tim Seifert KK 200 138 144.92 Colin Munro
- IU 216 149 144.96
