Former Pakistan speedster Shoaib Akhtar was not in a good mood as he lashed out at Babar Azam led side for losing to Zimbabwe by one run. Speaking on his Youtube channel, he blamed the team management to coach, including selectors, labeling them as personnel with average mindset. Meanwhile, he also went onto utter a few words for arch-rivals India, saying they would also return home very soon.
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Earlier on Thursday, star Pakistani openers — skipper Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan — failed to provide a good start in a modest chase as Zimbabwe went onto pull off a thriller.
Babar looked tentative before he was squared up by a seaming fuller-length delivery from Evans. An over later, Rizwan played on to the stumps a Muzarabani delivery while trying to cut a ball, which was too close to his body. Akhtar said he wants the skipper to bat at three, but he just wouldn’t listen.
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Iftikhar Ahmed, who scored a brisk fifty against India, didn’t last long either, leaving Pakistan reeling at 36 for three in 7.4 overs. But Shan Masood held one end up and together with Shadab Khan, shared 52 runs for the fourth wicket to take Pakistan forward.
Coming back to Akhtar, he said he knew Pakistan would return home this week, with India also following them back home perhaps after a week, after playing the semi-final.
“Mai pehle bhi keh chuka tha ki Pakistan is hafte wapas aa jayegi, aur agle hafte India wapas aa jayegi. Wo(India) bhi semi-final game. Wo bhi koi Tees Maar Khan nahi hai.” (I have said this earlier that Pakistan would be back home this week. India will be back next week. They are not such a great team, they will be back after losing the semi-final)
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Coming back to the match, Leg-spinning all-rounder Sikandar Raza brought Zimbabwe back into the contest with three quick wickets, including two in the 14th over. Raza first initiated a mishit from Shadab as he was holed out at long-off and then sent back Haider Ali for a duck.
Raza’s best moment came in his next over when he got the wicket of Masood, who was brilliantly stumped by Chakabva, as Pakistan slumped to 94 for six in 15.1 overs.
But Nawaz (22) kept Pakistan in the hunt in the company of Wasim and brought down the equation to 11 in the last over.
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