LAHORE (National Times) – Australia’s World Cup winning former captain Ricky Ponting said he thinks Pakistan Captain Babar Azam is the key towards Pakistan’s success in the upcoming T20I World Cup, scheduled in Australia.

“If Babar doesn’t have a great tournament, I don’t think they can win,” Ponting said while talking to ICC Review.

In the latest episode of the ICC Review, the 47-year-old acknowledged the class of star pacer Shaheen Afridi and the guile of Mohammad Rizwan at the top of the order, he said their batting line-up is too reliant on captain and No.1 ranked batter, Babar Azam.

“I saw him up close and personal a couple of years ago out here in a Test series against Australia and I said it then, I thought the sky was the limit for this guy as far as Test match batting (was concerned) and, if anything, he’s probably got better and better in the last couple of years.

“Their openers are very important and their new-ball bowlers are very important, but that role of the spin bowler in Australia might be a little bit more difficult with wickets that probably won’t give them assistance.”