Pakistan captain Babar Azam struggled to share his team’s horrific performance against England at Lord’s, which saw the team suffer their second consecutive defeat of the series. Babar, who recently returned as Pakistan’s Test captain, found it tough to explain their inability to challenge England, especially from a batting perspective as well.

Speaking at the post-match presentation ceremony, Babar said, “I think we won the toss and bowled first to try and utilise the overcast conditions. We utilised them well and took early wickets, restricting them to 290. Then, with the bat, we were not up to the mark. In the second innings, Pakistan bowled outstandingly again. Abbas took five wickets, but then our batting collapsed once more. The way Saud played showed immense class and dedication; it was tremendous.”

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When he was asked whether there was anything he would have wanted to change after England were reduced to 80 for 4 on the first morning, Babar’s response was a simple “No”. However, the answer surprised many, as critics felt Babar Azam lacked the tactical acumen to go aggressive when England were in a very bad situation and close to a defeat as well. Through his response, Babar showed that he felt there was nothing more he could have done tactically.

“To be honest, no. We simply followed our plans across both departments, bowling and batting, trying to build partnerships. Unfortunately, they managed to build a crucial partnership with the bat. Full credit to England,” Babar Azam concluded. “To be honest, we are trying to do better in both departments, batting and bowling. We had opportunities, but we failed to seize them properly. We showed glimpses of quality in both disciplines, so we will try to put up a stronger performance in the final match.”