Pakistani legend pacer Shoaib Akhtar questioned team captain Babar Azam’s decisions in rain interrupted match against India in Asia Cup 2023, Shoaib Akhtar said that Babar Azam had used too much spin where he could stop Indian batters from reaching the respected score by keeping seamers when Indians were on backfoot.
Batting first in the India vs. Pakistan rain-curtailed match on 2 September, India scored a respectable score of 266 runs in front of Pakistan’s sharp bowling, in which Ishan Kishan and Hardik Pandya kept the team’s shame by handling India’s disintegrating batting.
Former Pakistan veteran fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar says that in this match where the Indian team was in trouble after losing their 4 wickets for just 66 runs, Pakistan captain Babar Azam made a mistake by applying spin from both ends.
Babar Azam used spin too much and gave up on the attack- Shoaib Akhtar
Shoaib Akhtar was seen speaking on his You Tube channel and praised the captaincy of Babar Azam, also advised him that Babar should captain with an aggressive mindset and instead of fulfilling the quota of bowlers, he should try to get the team all out as quickly as possible. should think about.
“I don’t think Babar Azam should have given that many overs to spinners. He could have kept the pace battery intact from one end and a spinner from the other. That is where I disagree with Babar, he used spin too much and gave up on the attack,” said Shoaib Akhtar.
“He is a far more better captain than he was two years ago. Babar’s mindset has to be aggressive he should keep thinking about taking wickets and bowl out the opposition, and not let the bowlers bowl the entire 50 overs,” he added.
“Pakistan’s fast bowling trio is one of the best in the world”- Shoaib Akhtar
Arguably the world’s No. 1 ODI team Pakistan’s strongest point is their bowling which includes talented young fast bowlers like Shaheen Shah Afridi, Harris Rauf, and Naseem Shah who can trouble any team on any ground. During the press conference, Shoaib Akhtar looked very happy with his national team’s performance in the Asia Cup and after commenting on Babar Azam, he praised his bowlers.
“These youngsters are very, very talented. It gives me so much happiness to think that Pakistan is being able to produce such fast bowlers over and over again. I would say Shaheen Shah Afridi is bowling is at the top of his career right now, and Haris Rauf has the same mindset, that he just has to keep picking wickets.” said Shoaib Akhtar.
“I sent a message to Naseem Shah, and to other players as well, to bowl more wicket-taking deliveries rather than being a stock bowler. So, I am sure that the message has been conveyed. I think this trio, is one of the best in the world. They have proved time and time again that they can get people out simple as that,” he stated.
While appreciating the fast bowlers, Shoaib Akhtar slammed the Pakistani spin bowlers, pointed out the lack of a spin all-rounder in the Pakistan team, and also said that beating India in India is as difficult as it is difficult. Pakistan also has to be defeated in India.
“I think we are a spinner short. Shadab is very good, leg spin is a difficult art. I think one spin-bowling all-rounder is missing from the team. Pakistan will land in India as the favorites, I will be very honest with you,” he added.
“Beating India in India is going to be the most impossible thing, but beating Pakistan in India, in subcontinent conditions is also close to impossible, because both teams have a good pace battery and one team has a good spin attack. There has been an elevation to Pakistan’s batting unit, now it looks like a settled squad,” Shoaib Akhtar completed.