File photo of Pakistan cricket team© AFP
Pakistan geared up for Asia Cup 2023 with a 3-0 series win over Afghanistan but there were some issues with their batting. During the third ODI match, Mohammad Rizwan and Babar Azam guided Pakistan to 268 but they lost wickets at regular intervals and that did not allow them to reach the 300-run mark. Former Pakistan cricketer Kamran Akmal seemed concerned with the performance and said that the Babar-led side may struggle against big teams like India. In a recent interaction, he said that the Pakistan batters need to play positive cricket and take more responsibility against tough opponents.
“In modern-day cricket, every batsman has to play positive. If we can’t score 300 against this team, can we do that when we face India in the Asia Cup? It becomes pretty difficult. It was a good practice opportunity for Pakistan team, we got a chance in two games to bat first and put on a big score. The batters should’ve shown more responsibility,” Kamran said on his official YouTube channel.
“Yes, you scored 300 in the second game. But batters should’ve finished the game. It was a lower-order who finished the run-chase for you. It’s not a good sign for Pakistan team,” he added.
Pakistan were helped to 268-8 in 50 overs by a solid 79-ball 67 from Mohammad Rizwan and an 86-ball innings of 60 from skipper Babar Azam.
They then dismissed their opponents for 209 in 48.4 overs with number nine Mujeeb Ur Rahman top-scoring for Afghanistan with a 37-ball 64 for his maiden half century.
(With AFP inputs)
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