Jos Buttler vs Babar Azam: Decoding their T20I captaincy stats
Pakistan and England will cross swords in the final of the ICC T20 World Cup 2022. The high-octane battle will take place at the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground on Sunday (November 12). Eyes will be on captains of both sides, who have had contrasting campaigns in the competition. Here we will decode Babar Azam and Jos Buttler's captaincy stats in T20Is.
How both skippers have fared in the ongoing competition?
Babar endured a horrendous run in the league stage as he recorded scores of 0,4, 4, 6 and 25. Fortunately for Pakistan, he turned up in the crucial semi-final against New Zealand and scored a 42-ball 53. Jos Buttler, on the other hand, blew hot and cold in the league stage. However, he scored an unbeaten 80 against India in the semi-final.
Start of their captaincy tenure
Babar was made Pakistan's white-ball captain following the axing of Sarfaraz Ahmed in 2019. A year later, he became the national team captain across formats. On the other hand, Buttler became England's permanent white-ball skipper following Eoin Morgan's retirement in June this year. The wicketkeeper was Morgan's deputy for a long period and also led the side in the latter's absence at times.
Performance as captains
With 40 wins in 65 games, Babar is among the most successful skippers in the format. Only Morgan (44), MS Dhoni (42), Asghar Afghan (42) and Aaron Finch (41) have more victories in the format. Buttler, on the other hand, has so far led the Brits to 11 victories in 19 T20Is. Going close to Babar's tally would be a challenge for him.
Home and away record
Under Babar, the Men in Green have so far clinched 13 of their 19 T20Is at home. In away and neutral matches combined, the classy batter led Pakistan to 27 victories in 46 outings. Coming to Buttler, England won four of their eight T20Is under him at home. He guided the Brits to seven victories in 11 away and neutral games combined.
Their performance in Australia
Prior to the ongoing tournament, Pakistan didn't have a single T20I win in Australia. They have four now, all under Babar. Overall, he has led Pakistan in nine T20Is in Australia. Meanwhile, Buttler has guided the Brits to six wins in nine T20Is Down Under.
A look at their batting numbers as captains
Babar's tally of 2,033 runs as captain is only second to Aaron Finch (2,236). His average and strike rate read 37.64 and 128.83, respectively (50s: 20, 100s: 2). Buttler has 607 T20I runs under his belt while leading the T20I team (50s: 5). While his average (35.7) is just below Babar, the England star is way ahead in terms of strike rate (149.14).
Leading scorer of their respective teams
Interestingly, both Buttler and Babar are the leading run-scorers of their respective teams in T20Is. While Babar has scored 3,323 runs in 98 games, the England skipper has amassed 2,576 runs in 102 appearances. Both will be determined to enhance their tally in the final.
Who will break the Melbourne curse?
Notably, both England and Pakistan are yet to win a T20I at the MCG. While Pakistan lost both of their previous T20Is here, England suffered defeats in all of their four T20I outings at the venue. Both teams previously played one game here in the tournament. While Pakistan lost to India by four wickets, England suffered a shocking five-run defeat (DLS method) against Ireland.
