Pak vs SA: Babar Azam vows to continue winning momentum in fourth T20I

• Babar Azam vows to carry forward the momentum into the fourth T20.
  
• He credits Mohammad Rizwan for Pakistan's iconic win in the third T20.
• Pakistan will play the final and fourth T20I against  South Africa today.

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s captain for all three formats, Babar Azam Thursday vowed to carry forward the momentum into the fourth T20I, saying that the team is in good shape to bring out the best from the top-order.

The final T20I of the four-match series is being played today with Pakistan leading the series 2-1.

“The series outcome depends on the fourth T20’s result. We are looking forward to continuing with the same tempo which we have shown in the third T20. Hopefully, you would see the best from Pakistan players in the final game against South Africa," the Pakistani captain said while addressing a virtual talk.

Read more: Babar Azam 'blessed and honoured' by love shown by fans and country

Babar Azam recalled the outstanding knock that saw him playing possibly the best T20 International innings of all time. The upbeat captain said he was waiting for such an innings again.

He added: “I have been long dreaming of playing such an innings which finally came Wednesday. More importantly, it helped the team win the match."

'Mohammad Rizwan: the true fighter'

Crediting Mohammad Rizwan, the captain said that he was fasting and yet stayed at the field throughout the match.

"First as a wicketkeeper and then Razi Bhai returned unbeaten as a batsman to see the team through. He has really shown the guts of a true fighter," Babar lauded Rizwan.

Coming into the third T20, Babar said they left the second T20 defeat behind.

“We only focus on what is coming next and try to make the best use of the opportunity. Definitely, we learn from our mistakes but the main focus always remains the coming match," he added.

'The script went accordingly in third T20'

Speaking about his experience in the third T20, the world’s no 1 batsman said that the team's entire focus was on the match, knowing that the conditions were good.

"Despite the fact that Malan and Aidan Markram put up more than 100 in just 10 overs for South Africa, our bowlers stayed cool and restrict the hosts for around 200 which we felt was achievable. All we tried was to have a good partnership up front."

"The script went accordingly. Though we wanted to finish the match without losing a wicket, I got out when we were about to hit the winning target. Fakhar Zaman then completed the win. Fakhar always has the freedom to go all out. Credit goes to Fakhar who sacrificed his opening slot for the sake of team’s planning." he explained.

'Victory was important'

The captain asserted that the victory was important for the team.

“Our bowlers also bowled well during later stages of the match to restrict South Africa. Everyone must keep in mind that it is T20 cricket where batsmen try to overpower bowlers and they succeed in that most of the time mainly because of the suitable condition. 

Read more: Watch: Babar Azam roars after scoring a splendid century against South Africa

He said it is up to bowlers to stay firm and take the battle back to the batting lineup once they get the opportunity.

"Shaheen, Hasan, and Haris all bowled well in later stages of the South Africa innings," he added.

Babar said his advice to his team members had always been to play positive and learn from mistakes.

“We knew well that we can bounce back after losing the second T20. It was exactly what happened. Despite a challenging target, we made sure we chase it successfully and that we have done courtesy to proper planning.”