Shoaib Malik Slams Pakistan Management For Poor Batting Lineup In Second T20I Against England

May 26, 2024 0 801

Shoaib Malik criticized Pakistan’s batting order selection after their loss to England, calling for changes before the T20 World Cup.

Veteran Pakistani cricketer Shoaib Malik called out the team management’s selection choices following their 23-run defeat to England in the second T20I on Saturday. Pakistan, led by Babar Azam, now trails 0-1 in the four-match series after the first T20I was rained out.

Taking to social media, Malik expressed his concerns about the batting order and urged the team to recognise the difference between international cricket and domestic leagues like the PSL.

“This is not the PSL, this is international cricket, especially right before the T20 World Cup. In my opinion, the batting order should be Fakhar Zaman, Mohammad Rizwan, Babar Azam, Iftikhar Ahmed, Imad Wasim, and Shadab Khan,” Malik wrote on his Twitter handle.

– This is not PSL this is international cricket that too, just before T20 World Cup. IMO, the batting order should be…

Fakhar
Rizwan
Babar
Azam
Iftkar
Imad
Shadab

Captain needs to utilise the options on bench wisely. Moving forward, the captain should give time & enough…
— Shoaib Malik 🇵🇰 (@realshoaibmalik) May 25, 2024

He further argued that finishers like Azam Khan and Iftikhar Ahmed should be given more time at the crease. “The captain should allow Azam and Iftikhar to settle in before expecting them to score big runs immediately. It’s unfair to put that pressure on them,” suggested Malik.

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In the match, Pakistan captain Babar Azam chose to bowl first after winning the toss. England set a target of 184 runs, with Jos Buttler (84 runs) and Will Jacks (37 runs) leading their batting effort. Pakistan’s bowlers, Shaheen Afridi (3 wickets), Imad Wasim (2 wickets), and Haris Rauf (2 wickets), put up a decent fight.

However, Pakistan’s batting faltered in reply. While Fakhar Zaman showed promise with 45 runs, he could not convert his start into a winning score. Notably, Jofra Archer, playing his first international match in over a year, made a successful comeback with impressive figures. The next T20I between Pakistan and England will be played on May 28th at Sophia Gardens.