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Australian all-rounder Glenn Maxwell named ace batter Babar Azam and pace spearhead Shaheen Afridi as the biggest threats for his side in the upcoming white-ball series against Pakistan. The Men in Green will tour Australia for three ODIs followed by as many T20Is from November 4 to November 19.
Australia have enjoyed tremendous success in the 50-over format, winning last year's World Cup and their most recent series in England. However, they suffered a shocking exit in the Super Eights of the 2024 T20 World Cup in the West Indies and the USA.
Meanwhile, Pakistan have struggled massively in both formats, finishing outside the top four in the 2023 ODI World Cup and enduring an embarassing first round in the 2024 T20 World Cup.
Speaking at the Australian Summer Festival in Melbourne as quoted by Cricket Pakistan, Maxwell hailed Babar and Shaheen, classifying them as their biggest challenges.
"We definitely have to keep an eye on Babar Azam; he’s an absolute superstar. Shaheen Afridi is a wizard with the new ball up front. Pakistan has world-class players, and we’re looking forward to the challenge," said Maxwell.
He also acknowledged the challenge Pakistan poses to the Aussies, thanks to their unpredictability.
"When you play against a team like Pakistan, their unpredictability makes them so tough to compete with. We’ve had challenges against Pakistan in the past. They can be dangerous at different times because you never know what to expect from them," stated Maxwell.
Pakistan last played an ODI series in Australia in 2016-17 and suffered a 1-4 defeat, while their last T20I series down under ended in a 0-2 loss in 2019-20.
A look at Babar Azam and Shaheen Afridi's white-ball record against Australia
The duo of Babar Azam and Shaheen Afridi boast spectacular ODI numbers against Australia.
The former averages an impressive 67.33 at a strike rate of 92.51 in 10 ODI games against the mighty Aussies with three centuries and two half-centuries. The numbers are equally as good for Babar in ODIs in Australia with an average of over 56 and a strike rate of 82.51 in five outings.
Meanwhile, Afridi has picked up 13 wickets in four ODIs against Australia at a stunning average of 17.46. However, he is yet to face the Australian challenge down under in ODIs.
Coming to the T20Is, Babar boasts extraordinary numbers against Australia with an average of 63.83 at a strike rate of almost 127 in eight matches. Yet, the 29-year-old has struggled on Australian conditions in the shortest format (includes the 2022 T20 World Cup) with an average of 26.55 in 10 games.
On the other hand, Afridi has recorded numbers against and in Australia with averages of 16.63 and 14.09 in six and seven matches, respectively.
