Williamson labels Babar ‘big threat’ ahead of T20I series

The captain of New Zealand Kane Williamson labeled the ace Pakistani batter Babar Azam a big threat ahead of the five-match T20I series versus Pakistan.

Williamson reckons that a recent run of poor form doesn’t make Babar Azam a bad player, he labeled Babar as a big threat and backed him to rediscover his best touch.

Babar Azam, once the top-ranked ODI batter, has experienced a decline in form over the last 12-18 months across various formats. Despite entering the 2023 World Cup with high expectations, he could only muster 320 runs.

Similarly, in the recent three-match Test series against Australia, Babar struggled, scoring just 126 runs with an average of a mere 21.

Williamson during a presser on Thursday, suggested that the form of any player can keep fluctuating, but reckons Babar is a world-class player.

“He [Babar] is a world class player. Cricket comes with a full range of feeling and emotions and part of it is navigating each day and looking to improve. He is one of the best players in the world and I am sure he will be doing that and that doesn’t change overnight. We know he is a big threat,” Williamson stated.

Williamson further mused that Pakistan always pose a challenge to the Kiwis and remembered how they emerged victorious in the tri-series before the 2022 T20 World Cup.

“Pakistan is always a fantastic opportunity. They are consistently one of the best teams in the world and in all conditions, so to have them to have them here in our backyard and having another contest is great. We played a tri-series series prior to the last World Cup. They won that and they obviously went a long way in that competition as well and so we know how strong they are as a team,” Williamson added.

The first of the five T20Is will take place in Auckland on Friday.