Pakistan batsman Babar Azam has signed a deal with Gray Nicolls this week. The top order batsman will be having Gray Nicolls on his bat from the series against New Zealand. As part of this deal, Azam will also use other batting accessories provided by Gray Nicolls against Kiwis. The length of this contract was not revealed by both parties.
Along with landing a sponsorship deal with Gray Nicolls, Azam has got a big responsibility on his shoulders from this year as Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) recently appointed him as the captain across all formats. His first assignment as captain will be against New Zealand later this month. He is currently in quarantine with the squad in New Zealand.
It is a big coup for Gray Nicolls as Azam is one of the best young batsmen in the world. The middle-order Pakistani batsman is going to get even better as he is set to enter the peak of his career. From Azam’s point of view, it is a very big deal since Gray Nicolls has partnered with some of the best players in the world.
Richard Gray, Sales and Marketing Director for Gray-Nicolls, said, “We are delighted to welcome Babar Azam to Gray-Nicolls and excited to have one of the best players in the world use the brand. We’re looking forward to seeing his continued success up close.”
Azam has been a consistent performer for Pakistan in white-ball cricket since making his debut in 2015. For a long time, he was the white-ball batsman in T-20 internationals, ahead of the likes of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma.
The right-handed middle-order batsman is now achieving a similar level of consistency in test cricket. PCB has shown great faith in Azam to give him the captaincy ahead of other senior players in the team. It remains to be seen whether he will be able to manage the balance between captaincy and his batting. The first assignment for Azam is a tough one as Kiwis have been dominant in home conditions.