Pakistan all-rounder Agha Salman backed star batter Babar Azam to regain his form sooner rather than later.
Azam has struggled for runs in the recent past and was not able to score even a single fifty in Test cricket last year.
"A bad patch can come upon any cricketer. After how much Babar Azam has performed for Pakistan, this little bad patch makes no difference. We're not concerned about his form, and he himself is aware of how to get out of these situations. The way that he's working on his batting, I think it's just a matter of time. Very soon you'll see a big hundred from him,” Salman said during a press conference on Thursday after the close of play during the ongoing Sydney Test against Australia.
He also opened up about Pakistan’s slip catching after debutant Saim Ayub dropped a sitter of Warner earlier during the day.
"Saim has been practicing slip-catching. I think there's a problem with the 1st slip position (laughs). When I was briefly off the field, Babar thought he'd move to 2nd slip (with Saim at 1st). People who follow cricket know that more catches go toward 2nd slip,” he said.
“Dropped catches are a part of the game. Australia also dropped catches, and it happens to anyone. There are no easy catches in the slips because you have very little time to react. We've also taken so many catches in the slips but no one talks about them (laughs)," he added.
Rain played spoilsport on the second day of the third Test between Pakistan and Australia in Sydney on Thursday.
Due the persistent rain and bad light, the entire third session of the day was washed out.
According to the Australian Government’s Bureau of Meteorology, chances of rain are 70 percent for the rest of the day. There is also a possibility of a severe thunderstorm in the west.
Additionally, there is also 50 percent chances of rain, which is most likely in the morning and early afternoon, on Friday.
However, the possibility of showers is only between 20-30 percent on Saturday and Sunday.
Earlier, Pakistan claimed the key wickets of openers David Warner and Usman Khawaja to restrict Australia to 116-2 at tea today.
Marnus Labuschagne was on 23 and Steve Smith six when bad light stopped play, even with the ground lights switched on, about 45 minutes before scheduled tea.
With storms moving in and the hosts trailing by 197 runs, the umpires decided to take an early tea.
Warner was dismissed for 34 and looked annoyed as he left the Sydney Cricket Ground to a standing ovation from his home crowd after missing out on his chance of a cherished century in his 112th and final Test match.
- Babar Azam