Skip to main content

Rizwan Bashed For Huge Blunder In Tri-Series Final: "Mind-Boggling To..."

Veteran batter Ahmed Shahzad has lashed out at Pakistan captain Mohammad Rizwan for his "mind-boggling" blunder to bat first in the tri-nation series final against New Zealand. On Friday, New Zealand beat Pakistan by 5 wickets to win the tri-nation series final at the National Stadium in Karachi. After opting to bat first, Pakistan were bowled out for 242 on a two-paced track, and New Zealand achieved the target in just 45.2 overs. Speaking on his YouTube channel, Shahzad questioned Rizwan's decision to bat, especially after Pakistan chased down 353 a couple of days prior against South Africa at the very same ground.

"It was a mind-boggling decision (to bat first) because we had seen in the previous match that the pitch becomes better to bat on in the night, the ball doesn't grip on the surface for the spinners. Still, the Pakistan team decided to bat first," Shahzad said on his YouTube channel.

Shahzad feels Pakistan are only capable of beating second or third-string oppositions, adding that the Rizwan-led side has been brutally exposed by New Zealand ahead of the Champions Trophy.

"Pakistan's bubble has burst ahead of the Champions Trophy. You get a chance to win only when the opposition performs below par or doesn't have their main players playing," he added.

Shahzad also questioned the logic behind the decision to drop pacer Mohammad Hasnain at the expense of all-rounder Faheem Ashraf, especially considering that the latter only bowled two overs in the match.

"In his every decision, the Pakistan captain wants to play safe with batting, be it by being a spinner short in the Champions Trophy squad or this match, where they played (bowling all-rounder) Faheem Ashraf to have a longer batting line-up at the expense of (fast bowler) Mohammad Hasnain and still used him (Ashraf) for just two overs," Shahzad pointed out.

After the match, Rizwan had explained the logic behind his decision to bat first.

"We wanted to bat first because we thought in the second half, the pitch would be tough. But their bowlers put a squeeze on us. We were looking to target 280 but they got it back. We were 15 runs short. They were bowling very well. Me and Agha were trying to build the stand. We tried doing that, but they were not giving us the balls. We kept the target to 280, not 300. My wicket was crucial. [Fielding] We have to bring the improvement. This is one department we are lacking. [Abrar] He has really improved. The others have to improve as well. [CT'25] We wanted to prepare for the 19th as well. So that is why we wanted to bat first as well," Rizwan said at the post-match presentation ceremony.



from NDTV Sports-Cricket
https://ift.tt/8wvd4N6
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Please do not enter any spam link in the comment box.

Popular posts from this blog

Sanju Samson's Act Minutes After T20 World Cup Selection Wins Hearts

April 8, 2008. Sanju Samson, then a skinny 14-year-old, curled on the bed in his hotel room, watched Kolkata Knight Riders' Brendon McCullum hammering a 73-ball 158 against Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the first-ever IPL match. That drizzly evening in Kottayam, a town in central Kerala, changed his heart. Forever. Sanju reshuffled his career dream, from wanting to become a civil servant to entering the elite world of a top-flight cricketer. "Sanju always recollects that day, which gave him the dream of reaching that league of top players one day," said former Kerala player Raiphi Vincent Gomez, also a close friend of the wicketkeeper batter. But merely having a dream will not take anyone to the top of their profession, more so in sports. Sanju then had oodles of determination too to walk down his chosen path. Biju George, the former India women's cricket team's fielding coach and the early mentor of the Kerala player, saw that brightly flickering flame inside...
Post a Comment
Read more

"Finals Are Funny Games": Molineux On Match-Winning Spell In WPL Final

Following her side's maiden Women's Premier League (WPL) title win, Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) bowling all-rounder Sophie Molineux remarked that the title clashes are always "funny games" and the team knew that the match was going down the wire. An all-round Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) led by yet another solid knock by Ellyse Perry and brilliant bowling spells from spinners Shreyanka Patil and Sophie Molineux captured their first-ever Women's Premier League (WPL) title after defeating Delhi Capitals by eight wickets in the title clash at Arun Jaitley Stadium on Sunday. Molineux received the 'Player of the Match' award for her bowling effort that put DC on the backfoot after a fiery start. "It was a great match. Finals are always funny games, we knew it was going down to the wire. DC are a great team, they fought all the way. Pretty happy we got over the line. I felt like I was bowing really slow tonight. In tournaments, you have to keep...
Post a Comment
Read more

Champions Trophy: BCCI Eyeing Star Who's Been Out Of Action For 417 Days

The Champions Trophy squad announcement deadline is January 12. The tournament starts on February 19, while India's first match is on February 20. All eyes will be on India's squad, especially after the Border Gavaskar Trophy debacle. Focus will be on veterans like Rohit Sharma , Virat Kohli , Jasprit Bumrah among others. In the midst of this, there is some positive news. Mohammed Shami , who last played an international match on November 19, 2023 (417 days ago from today), is expected to make a return, according to a report in Cricbuzz . Shami has been out of action since the 2023 ODI World Cup, where he was the top wicket-taker.  The report said that Shami's is being closely monitored by the BCCI's medical team. Shami underwent a surgery in his ankle after the World Cup. Then a knee swelling delayed his return and he missed the Border Gavaskar Trophy. Now, the report said that there is 'optimism' in the BCCI corridors over his return. A fitness clearance fro...
Post a Comment
Read more