‘Two of the greatest ever’: Mike Hesson backs struggling Babar Azam, Fakhar Zaman with bold claim

Babar Azam and Fakhar Zaman Pakistan head coach Mike Hesson has backed senior batsmen Babar Azam and Fakhar Zaman to play in the ODI tri-series final against Sri Lanka on Saturday, describing the duo as two of the greatest players in the country’s cricketing history.Hesson believes the big event could bring out the best in the experienced pair who have struggled to make their mark with the bat throughout the tournament.“You are talking about two of the greatest players in Pakistan’s history in the top three. I expect the big players to stand up in the big games,” Hesson told the Pakistan Cricket Board ahead of the final at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore.However, their recent numbers have raised questions over their current form. Babar scored 45, 34, 10 and 29 while Fakhar’s returns were 16, 0, 10 and 5.Despite lacking substantial contributions, Pakistan managed to reach the final with three consecutive victories. They beat Sri Lanka by 37 runs and England by 87 runs before edging out Sri Lanka by one wicket in a thrilling encounter where Shadab Khan’s unbeatenness proved decisive.Hesson said the team’s ability to win games without significant contributions from some of its established batsmen is an encouraging sign. He also backed them to produce a match-winning performance when it mattered most.“The fact that we were able to get the wins that we did without the top order performing as well as we know is a good sign,” he said. “Several of our key players are looking for a match-winning performance and there’s no better place to do that than in the final.”The Pakistani campaign was not without setbacks. They suffered an eight-wicket defeat to Sri Lanka in their final league match, but Hesson remained happy with the team’s overall performance.He acknowledged that Pakistan had played good cricket without putting together a complete performance and hoped that they would perform at their best in the title race.“It’s been a good couple of weeks. We’ve played decent cricket without being perfect. To get three wins in a row without the contribution of a few of our key players is a good sign,” he said.“I still think we haven’t played our best game yet. Hopefully we can save that for the final.”

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