Pakistan cricket captain Babar Azam has lamented the team’s poor performance against England in the recently concluded four-match T20 series and said they need to play well ahead of the World Cup in the USA.
Speaking at a post-match presentation in London, Babar gave his thoughts on the importance of modern cricket and the way forward for Pakistan. He admitted he was disappointed to lose to England and said the win would boost the team’s morale heading into the World Cup, adding that the players had also learned from the loss.
“It is necessary to go to the World Cup with a winning streak and high morale.” Noting that the World Cup is a different game, he expressed confidence in a better result. He said that they are well aware of the situation in the West Indies but not in the United States and said that all the players know their role and have to take responsibility in the World Cup.
Reflecting on the series, Babar pointed out some areas where the team fell short, saying they have made mistakes in the middle order, but with the World Cup around the corner, he will look to correct the mistakes. He also said that the batsmen failed to take responsibility in the middle order, which led to the loss of wickets.
“Sure, the batsmen are not responsible in the middle overs and lose wickets,” he said, adding that the team could not score well due to back-to-back collapses that put pressure on the team.
He also admitted that the bowlers did not live up to expectations, admitting that they got a lot of runs. “The bowlers also do not bowl well and they bowl more,” he said.
Babar said, the team also plays modern cricket like other top teams. He said, all the players, especially the seniors, must be responsible. “All players will get old, they have to take responsibility,” he said, adding that change takes time.
He said it is important to increase the batting speed and use modern cricket strategies to continue the winning streak.
The captain admitted that the changes in the squad will take time to bear fruit. “Change takes time,” he said. Expressing confidence in the selection process, he said that every player, including Azam Khan, was selected and pointed to the joint efforts of the selection committee, coach and captain in the decision-making process. “Each player is chosen according to his profession,” he said, wanting to support the chosen one.
Babar also commented on individual players, saying he was aware of the potential of players like Azam Khan and Fakhar Zaman. He acknowledged the mistakes made in the middle order during the campaign and said he wants to correct those mistakes before the World Cup. “We made mistakes in the middle order of this series,” he said.
He also said that the good partnership between Usman and Iftikhar could have changed the outcome of the match and the pressure of back tickets had affected the team.
Looking ahead, Babar believes in the team’s World Cup potential. He reiterated the importance of playing modern cricket and ensuring that all players know their roles and responsibilities. “All the players know their role and have to take responsibility at the World Cup.”
Despite the recent setbacks, Babar is optimistic about the future. He emphasized the collective effort needed to achieve success and wanted to give credit to England for their performance. “Credit must also be given to England for playing good cricket,” he said.
