Younis Khan Advocates for Babar and Rizwan’s Shift in T20 Lineup

Former Pakistan cricket captain Younis Khan has weighed in on the ongoing discussions regarding Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan’s roles within Pakistan’s T20I structure.

He suggests that the celebrated pair are not being used effectively at the top of the batting order and should be repositioned to their initially held middle-order slots.

During a recent media interaction, Younis defended Babar and Rizwan against critiques of their recent form, arguing that their talents are more appropriately utilized in stabilizing the innings rather than aiming for explosive starts.

“Babar and Rizwan should certainly feature in the T20 team, but not as opening batsmen. Their most natural and advantageous position is in the middle order, where they can solidify the innings and offer stability when it’s needed,” Younis commented.

Once hailed as the linchpin of Pakistan’s white-ball team, Babar and Rizwan have faced scrutiny for their more measured, anchor-like approach at the start of innings. This style is now perceived as outdated in the contemporary T20 format, which values aggressive, high-scoring starts.

Despite the criticism, their statistical dominance remains evident.

They currently hold the record for the highest partnership runs in T20 Internationals, having accumulated 3,300 runs across 73 matches from 2019 to 2024.

Their collaborations have produced 15 fifty-run partnerships and 10 century partnerships, highlighted by an unbeaten record of 203 runs in a single game.

Notably, Babar Azam is the second-highest run-scorer in T20I history, only surpassed by former Indian captain Rohit Sharma.

Babar has amassed 4,223 runs in 128 matches, averaging 39.83 with a strike rate of 129.22, including 36 half-centuries and 3 centuries.

Mohammad Rizwan, the current white-ball captain for Pakistan, is ranked seventh overall with 3,414 runs in 106 matches, boasting an average of 47.41 and a strike rate of 125.37, including 30 half-centuries and one century.