Azhar Mahmood, the head coach of Pakistan, has hinted at potential changes in the team’s batting order following the team’s humiliating loss against New Zealand in the third T20I.
The defeat has prompted discussions about tactical adjustments as Pakistan looks to bounce back in the remaining matches of the series.
During the post-match press conference, Mahmood addressed questions about the stability of Pakistan’s top three batting positions.
While affirming the general consistency of the top order, Mahmood emphasized the importance of flexibility, indicating that batting positions may be adjusted based on specific matchups in upcoming games.
“I have said this before as well that your top three is fixed but after that, we have to look at matchups and decide accordingly,” stated Azhar Mahmood.
“In this match [third T20I] we wanted Rizwan to get some time in the middle since the first match was washed out due to rain.
“But going forward we will be flexible as far as the batting positions are concerned since one number is not set for a particular player.
Mahmood acknowledged Pakistan’s shortfall in the third T20I, attributing it to a loss of momentum in the middle overs.
Despite a promising start, Mahmood highlighted the team’s inability to capitalize on favourable conditions, ultimately falling short by 15 to 20 runs according to par score estimations.
“We were 15 to 20 runs short based on the par score. We started quite well in the first six overs and scored around 54 runs. But I think we lost momentum in the middle overs as the ball was gripping a bit,” he added.
Notably, Pakistan managed just 51 runs in the seven overs following Saim Ayub’s wicket, which slowed down the team’s scoring rate in the middle overs. Collectively, Babar and Rizwan scored 59 runs in 50 balls.
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