“Didn’t finish well”: Pakistan skipper Babar Azam on 23-run loss against England

Birmingham [UK], May 26 (ANI): Following his side’s 23-run loss against England in the 2nd T20I match of the series at Edgbaston, Pakistan skipper Babar Azam said they didn’t finish well in the game.

Babar displayed an average performance in the second inning of the match. He scored 32 runs from 26 balls at a strike rate of 123.08. He hammered 4 fours during his time on the crease.

Speaking after the match, Babar showered praise on the bowlers and said they performed very well in the game. He added that there was only one big partnership between the skipper and Fakhar Zaman and later no batters could make it.

“It was a par score, our bowlers bowled very well. In the batting, there were moments, but we didn’t finish well. Small partnership between me and Fakhar and later on, there was no big partnership,” Babar said.

He added that everyone in the team is very flexible and knows their role. He added that if Fakhar and him continued on the field then the result could have been different.

“We are flexible, everyone knows their role. We have decided each player’s role. If you are not in good form, we are flexible. The way Fakhar dominated after wickets fell … if me and Fakhar had batted for three more overs, it would have been a different ball game,” he added.

With this win, England take a 1-0 lead in the four-match series. The first game was washed out by rain.

Recapping the match, put to batting first by Pakistan, England lost the in-form opener Phil Salt for just 13 to Pakistan’s returning all-rounder Imad Wasim, with Shaheen Afridi taking a fine catch at long-on. (25/1).

England could not really get those big hits that much as wickets kept falling. Buttler was dismissed for 84 in 51 balls, with eight fours and three sixes as the fifth man to go by Haris. Pakistan made a solid comeback to restrict England to 183/7 in their 20 overs.

Shaheen Shah Afridi (3/36) and Haris Rauf (2/34) shined with the ball for Pakistan.

In the run-chase, Pakistan lost openers Mohammed Rizwan and Saim Ayub early, reduced to 14/2. Leaving aside a 53-run partnership between skipper Babar Azam (32 in 26 balls, with four boundaries) and Fakhar Zaman (45 in 21 balls, with five fours and three sixes) and a 40-run stand between Iftikhar Ahmed (23 in 17 balls, with four and two sixes) and Imad Wasim (22 in 13 balls, with two fours and a six), Pakistan just could not keep going and were bundled out for 160 runs in 19.2 overs.

Topley (3/41) and Archer (2/28) were the top bowlers for England. Moeen Ali also got two wickets