The attacking line of the Pakistan national team has been raising questions recently. In the previous match against Sri Lanka, the team scored only 110 runs; however, despite this, batting coach Mike Smith maintains full faith in the potential of Babar Azam and Fakhar Zaman. He stated that both players will soon deliver big innings.
On Saturday, Pakistan will face Sri Lanka again in the final of the three-match series. Consequently, a stronger performance is expected from the experienced batsmen. The previous defeat to Sri Lanka on Tuesday highlighted weaknesses in the starting order.
In response to comments that Babar Azam failed to convert a good start into a large score, Smith offered a defense. He emphasized that settling in the field is one of the most difficult tasks in cricket, and Babar often handles it easily. According to Smith, if Babar could have transformed his good start into a big innings, no one would criticize him. He noted that it is impossible to perform outstandingly in every international cricket match, and he absolutely does not doubt Babar's ability to play big, which will be exciting to watch.
Fakhar Zaman also failed to give Pakistan a good start. Nevertheless, Smith called him a world-class player, adding that every batsman's career has periods where they do not score as many runs as hoped. The coach believes in his return because Fakhar has previously proven his class. Smith noted that as an opener, Fakhar has a good track record of converting starts into big scores. Once he settles in, he plays aggressively, capable of dominating the match and changing the game's momentum. The coach hopes Fakhar will demonstrate such a performance in the final.
Smith admitted that Pakistan's entire batting unit is not yet performing up to its capabilities. In his assessment, the team is generally at about 70% of its expected level. However, he views this not as a cause for concern but as an opportunity for improvement. Regarding the loss to Sri Lanka, he said that due to several poor shots and the opponent's good play, Pakistan could not find its rhythm in the match. Once control of the game was lost, it was difficult to regain.
The good performance of the middle-order players was a positive point for the team, compensating for the lack of runs in the top order. Smith expressed hope that when the top order returns to form, Pakistan's batting unit will become even more dangerous. Concerning the pitches in Lahore, Smith also clearly stated his position, saying he does not blame the pitch. He believes that in international cricket, batsmen need to adapt to conditions and change strategy when necessary. The Pakistan team failed to achieve success in this regard. The batting coach also reported that the defeat before the final will not affect the match on Saturday. In his words, the team that handles the pressure better in the final will win. Now Pakistan hopes that Babar Azam and Fakhar Zaman will turn the coach's trust into real results and play a key role in winning against Sri Lanka.
