It was not the start that the Pakistan Cricket Team expected. The hosts were handed a 60-run defeat in the ICC Champions Trophy opener. However, a major criticism has fallen on former captain Babar Azam for playing a very slow innings. And now Cheteshwar Pujara and Wasim Akram have criticised Babar for slowing down the innings which eventually led to his side’s loss.
Babar Azam scored 64 runs but he ate 90 balls in the process. His innings were slow, consisting of 6 boundaries and a solitary sixer. But it was a pivotal point in the game where the Men in Green were unable to recover from the early setback. Both Pujara and Wasim Akram expressed their displeasure claiming that the ace batter showed a lack of intent.
Pujara unhappy with Babar
“There was no intent. Babar’s footwork against the spinner was not good. He was not using his feet. He was not reaching to the ball. He was waiting for the ball to come to him. He was not committing. He was trying to flick the ball get a single, but there was a square leg fielder,” Pujara said on the show “Dressing Room.”
The India star went on to explain that Babar was not committing enough to play good shots. He claimed that in ODIs a batter needs to play with freedom, something which was lacking from Babar.
“He didn’t tried to play any sweep shot or a paddle sweep. Nowadays, reverse sweep is also an option to disturb the length of a spinner. It looks like there is a mental pressure on him. In one-day cricket, you need to bat with freedom, he is a natural stroke player. He needs to bat with more freedom. He needs to rotate strike and hit those odd boundaries. In the present time the strike rate of 70 and 80 are not good enough. You don’t need to play for your own runs. In one-day cricket you can’t be looking to save your own wicket instead you go to win the match. He was trying not to get out. But the dot balls added pressure on the batters, who came next,” Pujara concluded.
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Wasim Akram displeased
Former Pakistani pace sensation Wasim Akram too was extremely displeased with Babar’s innings. He claimed that he would have been happy had Babar scored fewer runs but quickly.
“I don’t want 60 off 90 balls from my main player. I’d rather have him getting 35 off 30 balls and get out instead of getting 64 of 90 balls. It’s not on in this day and age. Babar was the set batter but it was Salman who was taking the risk,” said Akram.
