Pakistan back in form
Pakistan outclassed Australia in the T20I series with an 11-run win in the second match in Dubai on Friday
Dominant Pakistan bagged the series against a lacklustre Australian team. The Men in Green proved too strong for the visitors in the ongoing series.
Pakistan outclassed Australia in the T20I series with an 11-run win in the second match in Dubai on Friday.
The result was an expected one, as the hosts were clearly the more balanced side amongst the two teams, ever since the squads were announced.
In both matches, Sarfraz Ahmed-led unit followed an identical pattern where they batted first and defended the target with great ease.
In the first match, the Green Caps registered a comfortable 66-run triumph in Dubai on Wednesday, while on Friday, they registered a rather relaxed 11-run win despite Glenn Maxwell heroics.
However, things could’ve been completely different, had opener Babar Azam not played those two responsible innings, which show why he is highly rated in the world of cricket.
Apart from him, only veteran all-rounder Mohammad Hafeez showed some mettle, however the rest of the squad looked below par to say the least.
A lot of credit should also be given to captain Sarfraz Ahmed, who, after a horrid time out in the recently concluded Asia Cup, showed in the Test series and now in the T20Is that he is still the right man to lead the team.
The wicketkeeper-batsman made the right changes when it came to bowling and showed the kind of hunger, desire and enthusiasm which is the basic requirement to succeed in international cricket.
Moving on, after a dead-rubber on Sunday, the team’s next assignment is going to be a three-match T20I series against New Zealand in similar conditions. Nothing less than the same kind of performances will be required to produce the similar kind of results, as the Kiwis — in contrast to the Kangaroos — are a much balanced outfit in every format of the game.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 28th, 2018.
Pakistan outclassed Australia in the T20I series with an 11-run win in the second match in Dubai on Friday.
The result was an expected one, as the hosts were clearly the more balanced side amongst the two teams, ever since the squads were announced.
In both matches, Sarfraz Ahmed-led unit followed an identical pattern where they batted first and defended the target with great ease.
In the first match, the Green Caps registered a comfortable 66-run triumph in Dubai on Wednesday, while on Friday, they registered a rather relaxed 11-run win despite Glenn Maxwell heroics.
However, things could’ve been completely different, had opener Babar Azam not played those two responsible innings, which show why he is highly rated in the world of cricket.
Apart from him, only veteran all-rounder Mohammad Hafeez showed some mettle, however the rest of the squad looked below par to say the least.
A lot of credit should also be given to captain Sarfraz Ahmed, who, after a horrid time out in the recently concluded Asia Cup, showed in the Test series and now in the T20Is that he is still the right man to lead the team.
The wicketkeeper-batsman made the right changes when it came to bowling and showed the kind of hunger, desire and enthusiasm which is the basic requirement to succeed in international cricket.
Moving on, after a dead-rubber on Sunday, the team’s next assignment is going to be a three-match T20I series against New Zealand in similar conditions. Nothing less than the same kind of performances will be required to produce the similar kind of results, as the Kiwis — in contrast to the Kangaroos — are a much balanced outfit in every format of the game.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 28th, 2018.