Pakistan batting coach Mike Smith has expressed confidence in Babar Azam and Fakhar Zaman ahead of Saturday’s tri-series final against Sri Lanka, saying he has “zero doubt” that both batters will return to form.
Speaking after Pakistan’s batting collapse against Sri Lanka on Tuesday, when the team was bowled out for just 110, Smith defended the two senior players despite their recent struggles.
Asked whether Babar’s failure to convert promising starts into big scores was a concern, Smith dismissed the suggestion.
“Definitely not. The hardest part of cricket is getting yourself in, and Babar’s doing that incredibly easily at times,” he said.
Smith added that Babar had been doing several things right and was capable of producing a big innings at any time.
“If he had turned one of those starts into a big score, no one’s saying a thing. That’s international cricket. That’s the top-end sport. You can’t perform at the highest level every single time,” he said.
“We have zero doubt he’ll be going big, and when he does go big, it’ll be great to watch.”
The batting coach offered similar support to Fakhar, who has struggled to provide Pakistan with strong starts in the tournament.
“He’s a world-class player. Some players go through a period where they’re not scoring as many runs as they want to, but he’s shown time and time again what class he’s got,” Smith said.
“We have zero doubt that he’ll come good for us. Hopefully he does in the final and everyone’s happy.”
Smith said Fakhar’s ability to dominate matches once settled at the crease made him a valuable player for Pakistan.
Pakistan entered Tuesday’s match with three consecutive victories in the tri-series, but their batting lineup struggled against Sri Lanka.
Assessing the team’s overall performance, Smith admitted that Pakistan’s batting unit was still below its best.
“We’re probably batting at about, as a collective, at about 70 per cent of where we need to be,” he said, describing the situation as an opportunity for improvement.
He attributed Tuesday’s collapse to a combination of poor shot selection and good bowling, acknowledging that Pakistan failed to build momentum throughout the innings.
However, Smith praised the middle order for stepping up when the top-order batters failed to score runs.
“When the top order fire, and they will fire, that’s a dangerous place to be for the Pakistan batting unit,” he said.
Smith also rejected suggestions that the pitches in Lahore were responsible for Pakistan’s batting struggles, stressing that international players must adapt to different conditions.
“No, I’m not blaming the pitches, not the pitches’ fault,” he said, admitting that Pakistan had not adjusted as well as expected.
Looking ahead to the final, Smith insisted that Tuesday’s defeat would have no impact on Pakistan’s chances against Sri Lanka.
“The fact that we’ve lost the game leading into the final is going to have zero bearing on anything,” he said.
“At the end of the day, it’s a final, and whichever team stands up under the pressure is going to do well and lift the trophy.”
Pakistan will face Sri Lanka in Saturday’s tri-series final, with the team hoping its senior batters can deliver when it matters most.
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