Former Pakistani pacer Shoaib Akhtar has criticized Pakistan team management for opting to bowl first after winning the toss in the second T20I against England at Headingley. He feels Pakistan missed the opportunity by allowing England to score a big total in the game.
Babar Azam won the toss in Leeds but opted to bowl on a batting-friendly surface. England batsmen played with intent and scored 200 despite losing wickets at regular intervals. In response, Pakistan started well in powerplay but lost the way after Babar Azam got out.
Also Read: Shoaib Akhtar names all-time ODI XI, Virat Kohli is missing
Akhtar lashed Pakistan for this in a video posted on his Twitter account.
“Such a poor decision by captain & the management by bowling 1st on a great batting pitch it’s beyond me just speechless,” Shoaib Akhtar’s Twitter post read.
See the video here;
Such a poor decision by captain & the management by bowling 1st on a great batting pitch it’s beyond me just speechless 🤬🤬🤬 pic.twitter.com/Iiv3xEBkTr
— Shoaib Akhtar (@shoaib100mph) July 18, 2021
“Pakistan have opted to bowl first. I can’t understand when this is a sunny day, and you guys scored 232/6 in the series opener, then why would you choose to bowl first? That too, when Jos Buttler is making a comeback and will open today),” Akhtar said in the video.
“I hope I am wrong, but this will be a 200-plus score. Pakistan have a great opportunity to win the series today on a flat surface. I hope I am wrong. But had I been the PCB chairman, I would’ve sacked the management and captain for taking such a poor decision of winning the toss and bowling first and losing the series because of it,” Akhtar added.
Also Read: Babar Azam responded to Shoaib Akhtar’s criticism
What Akhtar predicted in the video turned true thanks to Joss Buttler’s half-century on return. He replaced Eoin Morgan in the playing XI and led the team as well. Buttler found a good ally in Moeen Ali who played a stroke-filled knock of 36 in just 16 balls, which features six fours and one towering six.
In response, Mohammad Rizwan and Babar Azam scored 50 runs for the opening wicket inside the powerplay but lost the plot from thereon. England spin troika of Moeen Ali, Adil Rashid and Matt Parkinson bowled well in the middle overs and tighten the screw. Pakistan, eventually, fell 45 runs short of the target.
The series is evenly poised at 1-1 with the final T20I to be played in Manchester on Tuesday.
