KARACHI:
On Friday, Pakistan won the match against Afghanistan. However, the win was not without giving the nation a fright. It is now three for three for Pakistan but the match against Afghanistan did provide some food for thought.
Hassan Ali was one of the few bowlers who consistently gave away easy runs to Afghanistan. Strangely enough, the captain is always hesitant to rely more on spinners who seem to be doing perfectly well. In all three matches so far, Babar relied on Hassan Ali despite him being thrashed all over the field. He could have instead used Hafeez or even tried Shoaib as an alternative option. Similarly, our batting showed some cracks as the middle order went without scoring much runs. In the end, it was Asif Ali who managed to win us the game. His four sixes against Afghanistan were a real treat to watch. Though Babar played well, he lost his wicket after completing his fifty at a critical moment. Hafeez failed to perform at all, which is a bit worrisome. Our batters need to be more focused and not lose their wickets at crucial moments in the game.
But despite the drawbacks, it is great to see our team doing well. We hope that they continue their strong performance and emerge victorious in the T20 World Cup.
Raja Shafaatullah
Islamabad
Published in The Express Tribune, November 2nd, 2021.
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