PAK vs BAN: Wasim Akram Criticizes Babar Azam For Giving Over To Mohammad Nawaz Instead Of Usama Mir

Legendary Pakistan cricketer Wasim Akram criticized Babar Azam’s decision to give the 48th and final over to Mohammad Nawaz against South Africa in the World Cup 2023. Wasim Akram said that Babar Azam should have bowled Usama Mir, who was bowling better at the time.

The Pakistan cricket team suffered a heartbreaking 1-wicket loss in their recent match at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on Friday, October 27. The Men in Green are almost eliminated from the ongoing World Cup after enduring their fourth consecutive loss.

The Babar Azam-led team set a target of 271 runs after opting to bat first. The Proteas were in a comfortable position with a score of 206/4. However, Pakistani bowlers bounced back and picked up wickets at regular intervals, reducing the opposition team to 260/9.

That Was A Massive Mistake From Babar Azam – Wasim Akram

Wasim Akram stated that Babar Azam made a ‘massive error’ by bowling Mohammad Nawaz, highlighting that Usama Mir had more chances of baffling tailenders with googlies.

“There were a couple of mistakes at the end. When a team loses, then criticism is natural. The last over was given to Nawaz. I know the whole country will attack Nawaz, but at that time, Usama Mir had two overs left. Who was bowling better at that moment? Usama Mir. Who had more chances of baffling the tailenders with googlies? Usama,” he said on A Sports.

“His first three-four overs weren’t good, but he got two wickets for you. So Usama should have bowled that over, then Nawaz. Otherwise, the captaincy was fine. He bowled the main bowlers, got wickets. But I didn’t understand why he gave the ball to Nawaz in that over. His confidence was not there. The angle he creates with his release point will always take the ball down the leg side. So that was a massive mistake from our captain.”

Mohammad Nawaz conceded a single and a boundary on the first two balls when South Africa needed just five runs to win. Keshav Maharaj smashed the winning runs to help the team secure the win. The Temba Bavuma-led team moved to the top of the points table.

Haris Rauf Bowled His Heart Out – Wasim Akram

Wasim Akram acknowledged the positives for Pakistan despite their challenging World Cup situation. He praised Haris Rauf and Shaheen Afridi for their impactful performances.

“They made a game out of it. Haris bowled his heart out. It was good to see Wasim making an impact in this game. He’s got the talent, we all know but he didn’t get consistent chances. Today he was very good. His pace was up, bowled consistently over 140. He got some swing and troubled the South African batters.”

Also read: PAK vs BAN: Babar Azam Gracefully Accepts DRS Decision Despite Not Going in Their Favor Against South Africa