Threats for Babar: Two Proteas bowlers who can exploit Pakistan star's weakness in 1st T20I

Major threats for Babar in 1st T2OI [Source: AFP Photo]

Pakistan will take on South Africa in the T20I series, starting on Tuesday, and the pressure will be on the hosts to deliver the goods after a rather disappointing Asia Cup campaign, where they lost in the finals against arch-rivals, India. The selectors made a surprising call by bringing Babar Azam back in the side after he was dropped for the Asia Cup.

The batter was criticised for his strike rate by head coach Mike Hesson, and now the star batter has a point to prove in the upcoming series. However, run-scoring won’t be an easy task as the Proteas team has a brilliant bowling attack and their bowlers will make life difficult for Babar.

Here are 2 South African bowlers who can pose a massive threat to Babar’s T20I comeback in the upcoming series.

1) George Linde

  The South African all-rounder will pose a major threat to Babar Azam as the Pakistan batter has a major weakness against left-arm spin, and the same chinks in his armour was exposed by Keshav Maharaj in the second Test match.

Linde is a brilliant spin-bowler, and against Babar Azam, he has a really good track record in the past.

(Babar vs Linde)

• Linde has had the upper hand when it comes to his record against Babar. The Pakistan star has racked up 34 runs against the Proteas spinner, but the strike rate is questionable (125.9). He has been dismissed once, but the right-handed batter needs to find ways to score quick runs against Linde.
• Linde has a brilliant arm ball, and if Babar is not careful, the batter could be trapped lbw and he will be under pressure against the Proteas spinner.

2) Nandre Burger

Apart from left-arm spinners, Babar also needs to worry about left-arm pacers, as time and again, the Pakistan batter has been dismissed by them. He struggles against the incoming deliveries from the left-arm pacers, and his record tells the entire story.

(Babar Azam vs left-arm pacers)

• As the data suggests, Babar has scored truckloads of runs vs the left-armers with a decent strike rate of 136, but he has also been dismissed 10 times by them in T20Is. Thus, the battle between Nandre Burger and Babar becomes critical for the context of the match.
• Against left-arm pacers in 2024, Babar struggled for runs as he racked up 42 runs in 41 balls, with a strike rate of 102. He was only dismissed once, but the runs were hard to come by, and Burger will look to exploit it.

Final verdict

Babar will be under pressure on his T20I comeback and the star Pakistan batter needs to cross the Linde-Burger hurdle. If he can overcome his weakness, the right-handed batter will dominate the proceedings against the South Africans.

---

ALSO READ

Babar Azam back, Fakhar replaced; No Naseem Shah? Pakistan strongest XI for 1st T20I vs SA

---