New Delhi, Feb 13 (IANS): As Pakistan prepare for the final of the Tri-Nation ODI Series against New Zealand in Karachi, skipper Mohammad Rizwan has thrown his weight behind former captain Babar Azam, backing the star batter to rediscover his best form. While runs in Friday’s game would be valuable, the broader concern remains Babar’s long-term dip in form, which has seen his numbers drop across all formats.

Babar’s numbers have taken a hit over the last year. His ODI form — traditionally his strongest format — has suffered a noticeable decline. Since the start of the 2023 Asia Cup, he has averaged 42.90 in 25 games, bringing his career average down from nearly 59 to the mid-50s. If his knock of 151 against Nepal is excluded, that average dips further below 38.

This series hasn’t reversed the trend. He managed just 10 runs in the opening game against New Zealand, his innings dragging through the Powerplay while Fakhar Zaman flourished at the other end. Even in Pakistan’s record chase of 353 against South Africa, Babar started well but was trapped in front for 23 by Wiaan Mulder. Rizwan, however, believes Babar is simply a victim of his own success.

“Babar has scored so many runs for Pakistan that we expect him to score a hundred in each game,” Rizwan was quoted by ESPNcricinfo as saying. “If we don’t judge him by those extreme expectations, you’ll find he’s still chipping in and contributing valuably for us.”

Pakistan’s wicketkeeper-batter admitted that Babar faces additional pressure due to his past exploits. While technical flaws haven’t been glaring, the scrutiny on his every innings has intensified. “As a captain, I expect a lot more of him too because of all he has done in the past,” Rizwan continued. “There is obviously an additional pressure because of it, and I’m sure he feels that too. But if you look at his innings in South Africa, he is still scoring runs. It’s not as if he has clear technical deficiencies, but he is still being tested. I am confident he’ll come out of it.”

Babar’s form conundrum has been compounded by his recent promotion to opener in ODIs — a role he hadn’t played in a decade. The experiment was prompted by Saim Ayub’s injury and Abdullah Shafique’s drastic loss of form. With the Champions Trophy looming, the jury is still out on whether Babar will continue at the top.

Rizwan explained the rationale behind the move: “When Abdullah Shafique got out early in South Africa, Babar had to deal with the new ball anyway. He was coping with the seam and swing and enabling us to attack at the end. So, we thought why not go for our most technically solid player to open, rather than throwing someone else in at the deep end.”

If Babar’s opening stint does not yield results, Rizwan is open to stepping up himself. “We have other players who can open if we need them to,” he said. “Saim Ayub was a huge all-round blow for us, including in the field, because he was one of our best fielders, opened the batting, and could bowl eight or so overs. His absence created a huge disturbance, and we went for the safety of Babar Azam, who’s our best batter.”