The Players Look Scattered, They Were Hesitant In Even Giving Suggestions To Babar Azam - Moin Khan

Former Pakistan wicketkeeper-batter Moin Khan discussed the national team’s recent struggles, including consecutive losses in the Asia Cup 2023. Moin Khan highlighted that the team appeared scattered, with players hesitating to provide suggestions to captain Babar Azam.

Pakistan suffered a big defeat in their first World Cup warm-up match against New Zealand at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad. The Babar Azam-led team put up a total of 345/5 in 50 overs, with significant contributions from middle-order batters.

Ace pacer Shaheen Afridi was rested for the first warm-up match. In Shaheen’s absence, Pakistan’s bowling attack struggled to contain New Zealand’s batting lineup. The Kiwis chased down the target with over six overs to spare, securing a five-wicket victory.

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The Team Wan’t Gelled Up – Moin Khan

In a discussion with Cricket Pakistan, Moin Khan expressed his observations regarding the Pakistan team, highlighting the players’ reluctance to provide suggestions to Babar Azam.

“I saw this 100%. The players look scattered, they were hesitant in even giving suggestions to Babar, whether it was Rizwan, Shadab or Shaheen,”Moin told Cricket Pakistan.

“It was visible that the team wasn’t gelled up. There were no discussions, and even if there were suggestions and Babar was following them, they weren’t working,” he added.

Against India, Players Are Scared – Moin Khan

The former Pakistan wicketkeeper batter expressed his concerns about Pakistan players appearing “scared” during matches against India, which hindered their performance.

“Another thing was, against India, players are scared. And those who really are scared that their suggestions won’t work… that’s fear. As a cricketer, you have to play on your potential and you should contribute 100%. It’s okay if your suggestions go wrong, it happens.”

“But your body language shows whether you want to win, and that wasn’t visible. And I’m pretty there were some issues in dressing room. And I know, in professional environment, there are differences but you have to end them to perform better. You have to move on,” he concluded.

The Babar Azam-led team will face the five-time World Champions, Australia, in their second and final warm-up match at the same venue on October 3.

Also read: The Medical Panel Didn’t Take It Seriously: Moin Khan Slams PCB Medical Panel For Naseem Shah’s Injury