Pakistan's cricket captain, Babar Azam, has lamented the team’s dismal performance against England in the recently concluded four-match T20 series, acknowledging they should have played well ahead of the World Cup in the US.
Speaking in the post-match presentation ceremony in London, Babar expressed his thoughts on the importance of playing modern cricket, and the road ahead for Pakistan. He acknowledged the disappointment of losing the series to England, emphasizing that winning would have boosted the team's morale heading into the World Cup and said players learnt from losses also.
"It was necessary to win the series and go to the World Cup with high morale," he said. He noted that the World Cup is a completely different game and expressed confidence in achieving better results. He said they were well aware of the conditions in West Indies, but not in the US, adding that all the players knew about their roles and would have to take responsibility in the World Cup.
Reflecting on the series, Babar highlighted several areas where the team fell short, saying they made mistakes in the middle order, but since the World Cup is near, they will try to correct those shortcomings. He also pointed out that the batsmen failed to take responsibility in the middle overs, leading to a loss of wickets.
"Undoubtedly, the batsmen did not take responsibility in the middle overs and lost wickets," he stated, adding that the team could not score well due to the fall of wickets one after another, which put the team under pressure.
He also mentioned that the bowlers did not perform up to expectations, conceding too many runs. "The bowlers also did not bowl well and scored more runs," he added.
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Babar emphasized that the team also played modern-day cricket, similar to other top teams. He mentioned that all players, especially the seniors, need to take responsibility. "All the players are seniors; they will have to take responsibility," he asserted, adding that when changes took place, it took time.
He stressed the importance of increasing the strike rate and adopting modern cricket strategies to resume the journey of victories.
The captain acknowledged that changes in the team take time to yield results. "When changes happen, it takes time," he said. He expressed confidence in the selection process, stating that every player was chosen on merit, including Azam Khan, and emphasized the collaborative effort of the selection committee, coach, and captain in the decision-making process. "Every player is selected on merit," he said, urging support for whoever is selected.
Babar also commented on individual players, mentioning that they are well aware of the capabilities of players like Azam Khan and Fakhar Zaman. He admitted to mistakes made in the middle order during the series and expressed determination to correct these errors before the World Cup. "We have made mistakes in the middle order of this series," he acknowledged.
He also noted that a good partnership between Usman and Iftikhar could have changed the outcome of the match, and the pressure from back-to-back wickets affected the team.
Looking ahead, Babar is confident in the team's potential for the World Cup. He reiterated the importance of playing modern cricket and ensuring that all players know their roles and take responsibility. "All the players know their role and have to take responsibility in the World Cup," he said.
Despite the recent setbacks, Babar remains optimistic about the future. He highlighted the collaborative effort needed to succeed and called for credit to be given to England for their performance. "Credit should also be given to England for playing good cricket," he concluded.
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