Matthew Hayden hails Babar Azam for helping Rizwan overcome his lean patch

Babar Azam in action [Source: AP]

On Wednesday, Pakistan recorded a stunning seven-wicket victory against New Zealand to enter the final of the ongoing T20 World Cup in Australia. After restricting the Kiwis to a paltry 152, the Men in Green chased the total, courtesy of two fantastic knocks from Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan. 

Notably, both Babar and Rizwan were suffering from poor form; therefore, it won't be wrong to say they regained their mojo with their impactful innings in the all-important semifinal. 

After the game concluded, Pakistan team mentor Matthew Hayden lauded the openers for their heroics in the match. 

Hayden, who represented Australia in 273 international matches, also revealed how Babar assisted Rizwan to overcome his lean patch through his throw-downs during practice sessions. 

Here's what Hayden stated

"Sensational performance. I think as coaches and a team, we can only ask about giving our best and clearly tonight that was the case. It was just an extraordinary effort. I want to make a special mention to a moment that I saw at the start of play and that was Babar throwing balls to Rizzy and I thought, from an opening partnership’s point of view, that’s exactly what this team requires."