Hafeez's two-month effort to persuade Babar Azam to shift to the no.3 batting position in T20Is

By Ovaise Shariff | First Published Feb 19, 2024, 12:59 PM IST

Mohammed Hafeez shares spending two months convincing Babar Azam to alter his batting position for T20 Internationals.

Mohammed Hafeez discloses the intricate two-month-long process of persuading Babar Azam to embrace a shift to the No.3 position in T20 Internationals.

Mohammed Hafeez said, "It took me 2 months to convince Babar Azam to come down and bat at No.3 in T20is". (Pavillion Show). pic.twitter.com/h72D5H8bFF

— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra)

Having parted ways with the Pakistan cricket team, Mohammad Hafeez revealed his efforts in reshaping the team dynamic during the recent T20I series against New Zealand. Appointed as team director and head coach post the disappointing World Cup 2023 campaign, Hafeez's tenure saw a challenging 3-0 Test series defeat in Australia and a 4-1 loss in the five-T20I series against the Kiwis.

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Despite the unsuccessful outcomes, Hafeez's emphasis on team unity and strategic changes, particularly convincing Babar Azam to shift to No.3, showcased his commitment to the collective development of the squad. Babar Azam's subsequent impressive performances at No. 3 validated Hafeez's approach, bringing a positive shift to the team's batting order.

"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 Pakistan team. You and Rizwan are very good players, excellent players but you are not the whole team. We need to develop a team and for that I want you to come at number 3 because you have been playing this role in the ODI cricket for last six years, so it won't affect you; technically you are very solid," Hafeez said.

"Thank you very much to him that he accepted this and he played for Pakistan at number 3 which obviously I think is the best way to move," he added.

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