Pakistan’s captain Babar Azam is facing intense scrutiny following Pakistan’s embarrassing loss to the USA in the T20 World Cup 2024.
Babar’s performance, scoring 44 runs off 43 balls at a strike rate of 102.32, has sparked criticism from both fans and cricket experts. His innings included 19 dot balls, two sixes, and three fours, raising questions about his approach and intent against a lower-ranked team.
Renowned commentator Harsha Bhogle and former Indian cricketer Irfan Pathan were among the prominent voices criticizing Babar’s knock.
Pathan took to X (formerly Twitter) to express his disappointment, stating that Babar’s slow scoring rate did not help the team’s cause.
“On a fairly decent batting condition as a captain, if you are playing a 40+ ball innings with a 100 strike rate, you aren’t helping your team’s cause,” Pathan wrote.
Bhogle echoed these sentiments, noting that Babar appeared out of rhythm on a good batting surface.
“I have seen Babar Azam play many fine innings. This 44(43) won’t be among them. On a decent surface, he looked strangely out of rhythm,” Bhogle commented.
At the post-match presentation, Babar acknowledged the team’s shortcomings, especially during the powerplay. “In the first six overs, we didn’t capitalize. Back-to-back wickets always put you on the back foot. As a batter, you need to step up and build partnerships,” Babar said.
He also pointed out that Pakistan’s bowlers, particularly the spinners, failed to make an impact. “We were not up to the mark in the first six overs with the ball. Our spinners also did not take wickets in the middle overs, so these things cost us,” he added.
Pakistan now faces an uphill battle in the tournament. For Babar Azam, the pressure is on him to lead his team with more intent and to deliver performances that can turn the tide in Pakistan’s favour.
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