Basit Ali blasts Babar Azam and 2 others for their selfish innings in PAK vs ENG 1st Test

Former Pakistan cricketer Basit Ali criticized Babar Azam, Abdullah Shafique, and Saud Shakeel for their slow batting in the first Test against England. Basit Ali said that Babar Azam, Abdullah Shafique, and Saud Shakeel didn't show positive intent while batting on a batting-friendly pitch in Multan.

Pakistan posted a mammoth total of 556 runs after winning the toss at the Multan Cricket Stadium. The England fast bowlers and spinners didn't get any support from the surface. Skipper Shan Masood, Shafique, and Agha Salman scored centuries, while Saud Shakeel smashed a fifty in the first innings.

Batted As If It Was A Very Difficult Pitch - Basit Ali

In a video shared on his YouTube channel, Basit Ali expressed his disappointment with the batting approach of Abdullah Shafique, Babar Azam, and Saud Shakeel. He added that they batted like they were facing a challenging pitch rather than focusing on scoring runs.

"Abdullah Shafique, Babar Azam and Saud Shakeel batted as if it was a very difficult pitch like what we get in Australia and England. They didn't play according to the pitch and were only concerned about taking their turns, which is wrong," Basit said.

Shafique scored 102 runs off 184 balls at a strike rate of 55.43. Shakeel amassed 82 runs from 177 balls at a strike rate of 46.33. Babar had a disappointing performance with the bat during the series opener. The former Pakistan skipper scored only 30 runs off 71 deliveries at a strike rate of 42.25.

The Only Two Guys Who Played According To The Pitch - Basit Ali

Basit Ali said that Masood and Salman were the only two batters who played according to the flat pitch conditions. He criticized Saud Shakeel for not adopting a more attacking mindset against the spinners. He said that the Pakistan batters should have most of an attacking field to score quickly.

"Salman Ali Agha and Shan Masood were the only two guys who played according to the pitch. What's the point of scoring 30 runs from 70-80 balls or scoring a hundred in 180 balls on such a flat track? Shan Masood scored 151 runs in 177 balls, while Saud Shakeel scored 82 runs from 177 balls."

"Yes, scoring runs early on is easier because of an attacking field set, like how Zak Crawley also did. When Saud Shakeel was batting, England were bowling on one side. However, the mid-on and mid-off were inside the circle for spinners. He could have looked to clear those fielders."

Salman Ali Agha Scored Unbeaten Century In The First Innings

Shan Masood and Salman Ali Agha scored 151 and an unbeaten 104 runs, respectively. Left-arm spinner Jack Leach took three wickets, including Masood, Mohammad Rizwan (who scored a duck), and Shaheen Shah Afridi. Gus Atkinson and Brydon Carse also secured two wickets each in the first innings.

England lost the wicket of skipper Ollie Pope for a duck. However, they recovered with a partnership from Zak Crawley and Joe Root. Crawley (78) and Ben Duckett (84) missed centuries, but Root reached the three-digit mark. At the time of writing, England are 351/3 in 70 overs, still trailing Pakistan by 205 runs.

Also read: Watch: Zak Crawley misses well-deserved century as Aamer Jamal takes a juggling catch in Multan