Monday, September 12, 2022

Watch: Shoaib Akhtar blames Pakistan batters' lack of urgency for Asia Cup final defeat against Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka outclassed Pakistan to win their sixth Asia Cup title on Sunday at the Dubai International Stadium. Despite having the toss advantage, the Babar Azam-led side failed to breach the target of 171 runs thanks to some commendable performances from the Lankan bowlers.

After the disappointing defeat, former Pakistan pacer Shoaib Akhtar slammed the team’s batting unit for the loss. He made a special mention of opener Mohammad Rizwan, who has just become the No 1 batter in the world and played some significant knocks throughout the tournament. However, according to Akhtar, Rizwan needed to show some urgency.

Speaking on his YouTube channel, Akhtar took a dig at Pakistan’s batting collapse in the final. Referring to Rizwan’s performance, the speedster made a stern remark by noting that a 50-ball 50 can’t be beneficial in the shortest format of cricket. He asked the management to review the combinations in each department as it has not been working in their favour.

The pacer legend also heartily congratulated the Sri Lankan unit for displaying great determination to win the game, even though the country has been suffering from serious economic issues. He also did not forget to applaud the Lankan fielders for their grit. In the end, the ‘Rawalpindi Express’ suggested Pakistan to learn from the defeat and come back harder in the coming days.

Akhtar also shared a Twitter post that read, “This combination is not working. Pakistan has to look into a lot of things. Fakhar, Iftikhar, and Khushdil all need to be looked into. And Rizwan, a 50 off 50 is not going to work anymore. Doesn’t benefit Pakistan. Hats off to Sri Lanka. What a team.”

In the comment section, fans also agreed with the legend and brutally slammed the Pakistani unit for the below-par performance. Some Indian fans also marked their presence with a lot of humorous posts and memes.

A person noted, “Naseem shah’s 12 runs against Afghanistan are far far better than the whole 281 runs of Rizwan in this T20 Asia Cup.”


Another fan could not agree with Akhtar and tagged Rizwan as “a fighter” for staying longer on the crease.


A user appreciated the exceptional team effort by Sri Lanka.


Here are some other hilarious reactions:


Pakistan started the match well as the bowlers had brought Sri Lanka five-man down at just 58 runs on the board. Then, Bhanuka Rajapaksa and Wanindu Hasaranga pulled off the rescue operation. The duo collectively added a crucial 58 runs to the scoresheet. Rajapaksa remained unbeaten till the end as the highest run-getter of the side with a 45-ball 71. He steered the side to post a worth-fighting 170 runs on the board. In reply, Pakistan batters had to surrender in front of the tenacity of the Islanders and endure a 23-run defeat.

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