Prolific all-rounder Imad Wasim again made news by sharing what he termed a fact about Pakistan’s all-format skipper Babar Azam following the side’s loss to Australia in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 at Bangalore’s M. Chinnaswamy Stadium on Friday.
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It is pertinent to mention that Pakistan slipped to fifth position based on net run rate after its 62-run loss.
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Pakistan won the toss and put Australia into bat under batting-friendly conditions. The decision came back to haunt him as openers David Warner and Mitchell Marsh went all guns blazing to put on a record 259-run stand.
They bested former cricketers Shane Watson and Brad Haddin’s 183-run stand against Canada in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011.
David Warner, who scored his fourth consecutive century against Pakistan, top scored with 163 off 124 balls with 14 boundaries and nine sixes to his name. Mitchell Marsh, on the other hand, struck 10 fours and nine maximums on his way to 108-ball 121.
Thanks to blistering their blistering batting display and poor fielding by Pakistan, the side finished at 367-9 in their 50 overs.
In response, Pakistan’s Abdullah Shafique (64) and Imam-ul-Haq (70) laid the platform for the chase with a 134-run opening partnership but the rest of the top order failed to build on promising starts as they were bundled out for 305.
Babar Azam, in the post-match presentation, blamed the side’s fielding woes for the defeat. He admitted that dropping David Warner twice and dismal bowling performance were mistakes on their behalf.
Imad Wasim shared his views on Pakistan captain Babar Azam following the match on a private channel’s talk show. He lambasted the star batter for not giving a match-winning performance.
The left-arm all-rounder believes Babar Azam has not won a game for Pakistan since its win over New Zealand in the ICC Cricket World 2019 in England. It is pertinent to mention that scored a scintillating unbeaten century to guide the side to six-wicket win Birmingham’s Edgbaston Cricket Ground.
“I think the last time Babar [Azam] performed in a big match was against New Zealand in 2019 WC,” he said. “But after that, he is yet to win a big match for Pakistan. This is not a criticism but a fact.”
It is pertinent to mention that Babar Azam has misfired in the 50-over world championships so far. The Pakistan skipper has scored just 80 runs from four matches at an average of 20.75 and a strike rate of 79.05.
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His best performance in the tournament came against hosts and arch-rivals India when he scored 50 at Ahmedabad’s Narendra Modi Stadium.
