Former Pakistan fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar expressed disappointment at the Pakistan cricket team’s batting performance against India in the 2023 World Cup match at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.
India bowled out Pakistan for a mere 191 runs as their batting lineup crumbled following the dismissal of captain Babar Azam, who scored a half-century in the high-stakes clash against India.
Openers Abdullah Shafique and Imam-ul-Haq provided a steady start after India decided to field first at the picturesque Narendra Modi Stadium. The opening pair seemed in control until former top-ranked pacer Mohammed Siraj dismissed Pakistan’s last-match centurion, Abdullah Shafique.
In the meantime, Imam-ul-Haq formed a brief 32-run partnership with Pakistan captain Babar Azam before Hardik Pandya dismissed him in the 13th over.
The in-form wicketkeeper-batsman Mohammad Rizwan then joined Babar Azam and they held the innings together for Pakistan with a resilient partnership.
However, Muhammad Siraj dismissed Babar Azam after he completed his half-century, which triggered a collapse for Pakistan. Later, the other set batsman, Mohammad Rizwan, also fell.
Pakistan lost their last seven wickets for just 32 runs and were eventually bowled out for 191, with Hasan Ali providing a brief resistance with a 19-ball 12.
Missed Opportunity
Reacting to Pakistan’s batting collapse, Shoaib Akhtar, in a video posted on social media, expressed that it was a “missed opportunity on a fantastic batting wicket.”
He remarked, “It was a great pitch with the potential for 325-340 runs, but Pakistani batsmen failed to capitalize despite a good start.”
The former pace bowler believed that Indian captain Rohit Sharma’s decision to field first was incorrect, as India could have scored 350 runs on that surface. He added, “I don’t think the decision to field first was right by Rohit Sharma.”
Shoaib Akhtar also pointed out that Pakistan played with only four batsmen and lacked a solid middle order, depending on players like Shadab Khan and Iftikhar Ahmed. He expressed doubt about Pakistan’s batting lineup’s ability to post significant scores.
In a tweet, the former cricketer mentioned that Pakistan lacked the “fire” needed to silence such a massive crowd at the world’s largest cricket stadium. He emphasized that to silence 150,000 people single-handedly, one must possess that internal fire.
