Nasser Hussain Reveals Reason Behind Pakistan’s Batting Woes

• Pakistan aimed too high on an unsuitable pitch.
• A target of 280 would have been more appropriate.
• Early wicket losses added to their challenges.

Former England captain, Nasser Hussain, has offered a critical analysis of Pakistan’s underwhelming performance in the 12th game of the ICC Men’s ODI World Cup 2023, where they were bundled out for a mere 191 runs against arch-rivals India at the Narendra Modi Cricket Stadium in Ahmedabad.

Despite the noteworthy contributions from Babar Azam (50), Mohammad Rizwan (49), Imam-ul-Haq (36), and Abdullah Shafique (20), the rest of Pakistan’s batting lineup struggled to offer any significant resistance, leading to a dramatic collapse.

With Pakistan sitting comfortably at 155-2, they suddenly lost eight wickets for a mere 36 runs, allowing India to seize control of the game.

Nasser Hussain, a respected cricketing figure at 55 years of age, pinpointed what he saw as a critical error in Pakistan’s approach to this high-stakes encounter. According to him, Pakistan had set an excessively ambitious target for themselves on a pitch that required a different strategy compared to the opening World Cup match between England and New Zealand.

Hussain commented during the game, “Pakistan set their target too high. That pitch is different to England v New Zealand pitch here. This pitch is slow and low, the sort of pitch you see in Pakistan, and they should have set 280 as a target. They looked like a side that wanted 340, and that was too far away.”

Pakistan’s struggles began early as they were asked to bat first. Despite a brief display of power by their opening batters, Mohammad Siraj managed to dismiss Abdullah Shafique, who contributed 20 runs in his 24-ball innings, including three boundaries.

Pakistan faced an uphill battle after losing Shafique (20) and Imam-ul-Haq (36) against the formidable Indian side inspired by Rohit Sharma. However, a promising partnership between Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan, worth 82 runs, offered a glimmer of hope.

Babar Azam, who notably achieved his first ODI half-century against India, was dismissed by Mohammad Siraj after scoring 50 runs from 58 balls. During his careful innings, the Pakistan captain struck seven boundaries.

In this highly anticipated and high-profile clash at the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023, the Indian team, led by Rohit Sharma, won the toss and elected to field first against Babar Azam’s Pakistan. The match has not only ignited the passion of cricket fans but also raised questions about the strategies employed by both teams in the tournament.

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