PAK vs AFG: "Babar Azam Innings Cost Us Against Afghanistan" - Abdul Razzaq Makes A Huge Remark After Disappointing Loss

Former Pakistan cricketer Abdul Razzaq expressed his disappointment with captain Babar Azam’s batting display against Afghanistan in the ongoing ICC ODI World Cup 2023. Abdul Razzaq pointed out Babar Azam’s inability to smash a six straight down the ground.

The Pakistan team faced their third consecutive loss in the World Cup as Afghanistan beat them by eight wickets at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on Monday, October 23. The Men in Green couldn’t defend a total of 282 runs in their fifth match of the event.

Babar Azam Cannot Hit A Straight Six – Adbul Razzaq

During an interview on a local TV channel, Abdul Razzaq highlighted that Babar Azam‘s relatively slower innings limited the opportunities for other batters like Shadab and Iftikhar to face more deliveries and potentially score more runs.

“Babar Azam scored 74 runs off 92 balls which cost us against Afghanistan. How are you No. 1 in the world when you cannot hit a straight six? Had Babar got out earlier, Shadab and Iftikhar would have faced more balls and scored more runs,” Abdul Razzaq said.

‘Babar Azam scored 74 runs off 92 balls which cost us against Afghanistan. How are you No. 1 in the world when you cannot hit a straight six? Had Babar got out earlier, Shadab and Iftikhar would have faced more balls and scored more runs’ – Abdul Razzaq ? #CWC23 #PAKvsAFG pic.twitter.com/bMDSs1F0TA

— Farid Khan (@_FaridKhan) October 24, 2023

Babar Azam scored 74 runs off 92 balls, comprising four boundaries and one six. Iftikhar Ahmed’s rapid innings of 40 runs from 27 balls, with four sixes and two boundaries, and Shadab Khan’s contribution of 40 from 38 balls boosted Pakistan to a competitive total.

Afghanistan Registers First Victory Against Pakistan In ODIs

During the run chase, Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran added 130 runs for the opening partnership. Gurbaz scored 65 runs off 53 balls, while Ibrahim smashed 87 off 113 deliveries. Zadran formed a 60-run partnership with Rahmat Shah for the second wicket.

Shah scored 77 off 84 balls with two sixes and five boundaries. Captain Hashmatullah Shahidi contributed 48, not 45, balls with four boundaries. The duo formed an unbroken 96-run partnership for the third wicket. Shaheen Afridi and Hasan Ali each took one wicket.

The Afghans registered a convincing victory, having previously come close to beating Pakistan on several occasions but falling short. On the other hand, the Men in Green must approach every remaining game as a virtual knockout to reach the semifinals of the tournament.

Also read: PAK vs AFG: ‘Babar Azam Can Still Score 3-4 Hundreds In World Cup 2023’- Gautam Gambhir Adamant On His Prediction For Pakistan Batter