In a surprising statistical revelation in the ongoing Big Bash League (BBL), stars from Pakistan, Mohammad Rizwan and Babar Azam, have become the slowest scorers in the tournament so far.
Both renowned for their technical skill as well as consistency, the duo has had a cautious approach at the crease as shown in their strike rates.
Mohammad Rizwan leads the list of slowest batsmen with a 102.74 strike rate. Despite his cautious style, Rizwan hasn’t yet scored a half-century in the tournament, and this shows the left-handed batsman prefers building innings steadily, rather than going on the offensive.
His methodical style highlights an approach of anchoring the innings, and giving his team some stability in an innings in a competition characterised by explosive batting.
Babar Azam follows behind in 107.48 strike rate. Unlike Rizwan, Babar has been successful in making his starts into two half-centuries, although his scoring pace is relatively slow when compared to the high-octane pace usually linked to BBL.
This measured approach implies attention to building innings in a planned way, tackling difficult phases of an inning right away by leading his team instead of going for explosive boundaries.
Rounding off the top 3 slowest scorers is an Australian all-rounder named James Consta who has a strike rate of 110.21.
While these numbers may seem modest in a T20 setting, Rizwan and Babar have been stressed as to their importance by analysts.
Their ability to glue partnerships together for the innings helps forge partnerships, add stability to the batting line and prove helpful for mentoring younger and less experienced teammates through tough situations.
As the tournament progresses, people will be keenly interested to witness whether or not Rizwan and Babar will stick to their cautious approach or if they will make any changes in their strategy in accordance with the aggressive pace that is usually played in the BBL.
Also read: Babar Azam’s poor form continues in BBL
