One Lesson Babar Azam Can Learn From Phil Salt, Aiming T20I Comeback

Prachi Rajan

Phil Salt and Babar Azam (X.com/@HWbetsUK&@RealWaqarAfridi)Phil Salt and Babar Azam (X.com/@HWbetsUK&@RealWaqarAfridi)

England defeated Ireland in 1st T20I of the ongoing three-match bilateral series. Meanwhile, opener Phil Salt’s fine form continued, scoring an impeccable 89 off just 46 balls and starring with 4 sixes and 10 boundaries. This is Salt’s second half-century in the past 4 innings, which includes a match-winning unbeaten 141 off 60, including 15 fours and 8 sixes. Notably, these knocks helped England secure massive wins against their opponents. 

But how do Phil Salt stats uncover Babar Azam’s need to step up his game? Read further to unveil the truth behind it. 

Salt Equals Babar’s Feat Despite Playing Only 1/3rd Of The Number of Matches 

English opener Salt has so far played 46 T20I innings, amassing 1423 runs with a strike rate of 170.82 and an incredible average of 38.45. But the most striking point about his stats is the number of sixes he has smashed: 73. 

Stat
Phil Salt
Babar Azam
Matches46128
Runs14234223
Highest Score141*122
Average38.4539.83
Strike Rate170.82129.22
100s / 50s4 / 63 / 36
Fours / Sixes141 / 73447 / 73

In contrast, it took 128 games for Pakistan's former captain Babar Azam to hit the same number of boundaries. Moreover, Azam, despite scoring the most runs in the T20Is for Pakistan (4223), missed out on a spot in the ongoing Asia Cup 2025. Pakistan Cricket Board's reason behind the snub, in the words of PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi, stated that the present team has more aggressive players than the star Pakistan batter. 

It seems like the board's focus appears to be on building a younger, more competitive squad for the future of Pakistan cricket. However, Azam's exclusion stunned fans and experts. People are even saying that this could be the end of the road for the cricketer. 

Having said that, let's take a look at how Phil Salt's performances lately can help Babar Azam revamp his form in the shortest format of the game. 

Aggression From Ball One: Secret of Salt's success that Babar should learn

Stat
Phil Salt
Babar Azam
Innings38115
Runs7981,635
Balls Faced4701,381
Outs1845
Average44.336.3
Strike Rate169.8118.4
Fours (4s)97236
Sixes (6s)358
Dot Ball %35.30%43.30%

(Babar Azam vs Phil Salt T20I comparison in powerplay)

Key Observations Between Babar vs Salt Boundaries % in Powerplay 

As seen in the above table, Phil Salt seems to have capitalised the field restrictions by scoring 74.93% of his total runs in powerplay (798) through boundaries (598). Meanwhile, Babar Azam over the years has not been able to optimise the powerplay for his team, scoring only 60.67% of his runs by boundaries. Which in comparison with Salt is much lower.  

As seen in the above table, Phil Salt seems to have capitalised on the field restrictions by scoring 74.93% of his total runs in powerplay (798) through boundaries (598). Meanwhile, Babar Azam, over the years, has not been able to optimise the powerplay for his team, scoring only 60.67% of his runs by boundaries. Which, in comparison with Salt, is much lower. Moreover, the difference in their strike rates, Salt: 169.8 and Babar: 118.4, displays the parity in their aggressive approach. 

Elegance or Urgency: Babar Needs to Take a Decision Now!  

Unlike traditional batters, Salt takes no time to settle; he looks to optimize the field restrictions and put the pressure back on the opponents. His hard-hitting and boundary-focused style of batting provides a much-needed momentum to his team. 

As backed by the above stated stats, on the other hand, Babar Azam, known for his elegance and consistency, looks to anchor the innings and take time to settle down. This approach, though reliable in longer formats, has come under scrutiny. With modern-day cricket demanding a sense of urgency and power-hitting, especially early in the innings, that sets the tone for the rest of the match. 

Coming back to how Phil Salt's approach can help Babar Azam reconstruct, way back in the T20I set-up... 

If Babar wants to reassert himself, hoping for a spot in the Men in Green, especially with the T20I World Cup scheduled for next year, he'll need to evolve from a stylish batter to a powerful opener. Phil Salt, despite not being the most classic batter, embodies what it takes to dominate in present-day cricket. 

Babar needs to adapt to the same. The mindset and intent need to be embraced, hence a T20I comeback for Babar hinges on a Phil Salt-like intent blueprint.