ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s all-format captain Babar Azam and inform batter Abdullah Shafique have been included in Wisden’s “form” world Test XI.
Babar has been in phenomenal form and his performances have propelled the batter to become a force to be reckoned with. He is currently the only batsman in the entire world to have been included in the ICC top-ten rankings across all formats; he currently is ranked as the best limited-overs cricket and the fourth-best in the longer format of the game.
“The world’s number one ranked ODI and T20I batter is operating on a different plane in Tests as well. A ten-hour epic, match-saving 196 against Australia emphatically announced that Babar was on his way to ace the red-ball circuit as well, and he has continued to make hay since. He’s now gone past fifty in five innings on the trot and hasn’t been dismissed in single digits since April last year,” Wisden wrote about the Pakistani superstar.
On the other hand, Abdullah Shafique has also made a significant impact for Pakistan. He has broken a number of records thanks to his remarkable form as he has amassed 515 runs, including two centuries, at an average of 85.83.
“Technically sound, with an appetite for piling big runs, Shafique’s journey has been meteoric, breaking into the Pakistan set-up with his domestic career still in its infancy. At 22, and just six Tests in, he’s managed to make the opener’s slot his own: against Australia, he cracked an unbeaten third-innings century, and is yet to be dismissed in single figures. A gritty hundred in Galle has only extended the hot streak,” said Wisden about Shafique.
Both the players laid a strong foundation for Pakistan to succeed in the first Test match against Sri Lanka in Galle. Shafique survived more than 400 deliveries to lead Pakistan towards a historic victory against the home side.
Apart from Babar and Shafique, England batter Jonny Bairstow, James Anderson, Matt Potts, New Zealand’s Daryll Mitchell, Sri Lanka’s Dinesh Chandimal, Prabath Jayasuriya, Australia’s Usman Khawaja, West Indies’ Kyle Mayers, and India’s Rishabh Pant are all included in the XI.
