"You have to give credit to Nawaz, bowling under pressure, under such high intensity": Babar Azam

[MenInG]

"You have to give credit to Nawaz, bowling under pressure, under such high intensity": Babar Azam

Babar Azam in post-game presser:

"Early on, what the bowlers did in the first 10 overs was outstanding. We have to give credit to Hardik Pandya and Virat Kohli for the way they finished the match, the way they shifted the momentum towards India. Basically our plan was to get our main bowler there because we wanted a wicket. Because the way the partnership was building, I felt I could build pressure by bringing on our main bowler"

"If you see, even the last over was tight and it went down to the last ball. You also have to give credit to him [Nawaz], bowling under pressure, under such high intensity, it is not easy. This will also be a learning experience for him. Whenever he faces such situations in the future, he'll try to do better."

"We could have bowled him earlier but we wanted to take the match deep. There was a possibility that they could have taken the charge against his spin earlier and at that stage we felt taking a wicket would have been better. But they played sensibly, they knew that we had an over left of a spinner. Unfortunately he bowled a no-ball and a wide, and was disappointed with that"

On Shaheen Shah Afridi:

"No, nothing like that - Coming back after a while, returning from an injury, the way he bowled surprised me. The way he showed his aggression, and the way he bowled - he did not get wickets but it takes a bit of time for a bowler to adjust when he returns after a while."

"Whenever Pakistan-India play matches, there is always extra pressure and you have to overcome it as much as possible. This is why he [Kohli] is a big player. The pressure was on him early on but he overcame that and the way he built his innings and the partnership, according to me that changed the match."

"I've see him struggle on occasions but the way he has come back and played a big innings, that would have increased his confidence in a big way. Whenever you win such matches, the individual gets big confidence and the mental level goes up"

 

[ahmadharis1]

Literally no, he made the same mistake in the first Asia Cup match and gave Nawaz the last over yet again. Time and time again he has shown he cannot bowl under pressure and yet Babar does it twice in a span of a few months against the exact same team.

 

[Suleiman]

Literally no, he made the same mistake in the first Asia Cup match and gave Nawaz the last over yet again. Time and time again he has shown he cannot bowl under pressure and yet Babar does it twice in a span of a few months against the exact same team.

Babar is a mediocre captain and player in crunch situations.

Even Iftikhar would’ve done better. You didn’t need wicket taking deliveries in the last over. All that was needed was to make sure that you didn’t bowl wides or NBs, because the pressure is on the batsman. He did the exact opposite, bowled more wides and no balls than he ever has. I don’t think he’s bowled a no ball before in internationals.

He already went for 20 runs in an over before. You know full well he’s not in the right headspace, but ofc Babar being Babar still gave him the over.

This is why I’ve been saying we needed Aamer Jamal. A genuine pace allrounder.. honestly anyone would be better than Asif “Can I suggest captain?” Ali in the team. We played with 10 men today.

 

[SpiritOf1903]

WHICH BOZO USED UP HIS PACE BOWLERS?!

might as well have bowled Ifti around 15 overa

 

[PakLFC]

What a stupid thing to say! You left him no choice telling him to bowl the last over. Babar would have accused Nawaz of indiscipline or something had he refused. What's this obsession of making the spinner bowl the last over in T20's.

 

[hitthestump]

The logic wasn't terrible i guess. Babar gambled on getting a breakthrough before bringing Nawaz.

However, it must have been so demoralising to leave him as the last resort and heap pressure on him to bowl the final over. That was never Nawaz's role nor his strength.

Babar just isn't a great captain.

 

[SpiritOf1903]

The logic wasn't terrible i guess. Babar gambled on getting a breakthrough before bringing Nawaz.

However, it must have been so demoralising to leave him as the last resort and heap pressure on him to bowl the final over. That was never Nawaz's role nor his strength.

Babar just isn't a great captain.

He also put pressure on Rauf who must've been told to leave 20+. 28 before the last two bowls and I think he might've had a word, which would have been terrible either way

 

[shokz1408]

It’s the wrong selection of playing 2 spinners, but the correct decision in giving Nawaz plenty of runs to defend in the last over. Had Nawaz bowled earlier and went for 20 again, everyone would have said why they bowled him again and didn’t leave till later on. I hope to see 4 fast bowlers in the next match, spinners are going to get smashed this World Cup.

 

[hitthestump]

It’s the wrong selection of playing 2 spinners, but the correct decision in giving Nawaz plenty of runs to defend in the last over. Had Nawaz bowled earlier and went for 20 again, everyone would have said why they bowled him again and didn’t leave till later on. I hope to see 4 fast bowlers in the next match, spinners are going to get smashed this World Cup.

To be fair, i don't think anyone would have said that. Most of the time we see spinners bowl their full quota before the 16th over. If Babar had no faith in Nawaz redeeming himself he could have used Iftikhar too.

I can see what Babar was trying to do and maybe if our pace bowlers had broken the partnership we'd be having a different conversation. But once it was 16 to defend with Nawaz to bowl the game was a foregone conclusion.

 

[MbDin]

Just a terrible think tank if even they have one.

 

[Suleiman]

Rauf and Nawaz screwed the pooch.

Rauf is the best death bowler in the world, he’s the undertaker but inexperienced still. That flick six over deep fine leg was an insane stroke- Rauf just didn’t know what he was dealing with.

Should’ve backed himself to bowl at pace, and his trademark Yorker. Only saw 1 of those.

These slow ball bag of tricks works on elite batsmen potentially, but not as effective Vs an ATG. He picked it early and smashed it down the ground.

I’ve cooled off after being very angry at this loss. At the end this was the second greatest t20 match between the two sides, and arguably a top 3 LOI game between the two of all time!

Well played to both sides

 

[Gollum]

I'm sorry Nawaz should get credit for what? Bowling awfully and singlehandedly losing the match? International cricket is not the place for "learning experience". I will be disappointed if Nawaz plays another game in this tournament.

 

[shokz1408]

He couldn’t handle the pressure, 2 full tosses, no ball and wide was poor. And the no ball costing 7, plus 3 from the free hit.

 

[topspin]

I actually think Nawaz is being unfairly criticised.

Yes his last over wasn't perfect but it's the most unforgivable assignment in a T20 game. There's a reason why it's an extremely rare event to see a spinner bowl the last over. Anyone who claims that he candle handle the pressure doesn't know what they're talking.

He got the wicket off the first ball and got unlucky on two occasions. The free hit for bowling over waist height was an umpiring blunder. The ricochet off the stumps was just bad luck.

He did well to take it to the last ball under the circumstances.

Even Saeed Ajmal with his chucking got smashed in that famous last over finish by Mike Hussey. That's why I say again, it's the most unforgivable assignment in T20 cricket.

Some of you need to think more objectively rather than with your emotions. I'm gutted that we lost but blaming it on him isn't fair.

The game was lost when our openers scored 4 off 13 balls. That's what made the difference.

 

[Kroll]

I actually think Nawaz is being unfairly criticised.

Yes his last over wasn't perfect but it's the most unforgivable assignment in a T20 game. There's a reason why it's an extremely rare event to see a spinner bowl the last over. Anyone who claims that he candle handle the pressure doesn't know what they're talking.

He got the wicket off the first ball and got unlucky on two occasions. The free hit for bowling over waist height was an umpiring blunder. The ricochet off the stumps was just bad luck.

He did well to take it to the last ball under the circumstances.

Even Saeed Ajmal with his chucking got smashed in that famous last over finish by Mike Hussey. That's why I say again, it's the most unforgivable assignment in T20 cricket.

Some of you need to think more objectively rather than with your emotions. I'm gutted that we lost but blaming it on him isn't fair.

The game was lost when our openers scored 4 off 13 balls. That's what made the difference.

Agreed, not Nawaz fault Babar blundered by playing two pacers and a half fit Shaheen. Shouldn't be turned into a scapegoat here.

 

[Flat_Track_Bully]

All he had to do was bowl 6 fair deliveries and the batters would have given their wickets away trying to hit a 6. How can you be this nervous after playing so many internationals.

 

[namak]

18th over - 17 runs, Shaheen
19th over - 15 runs, Haris
20th over - 16 runs, Nawaz

Criticism - Nawaz.

When 2 pacers in the previous 2 overs get bashed for the same amount of runs, and this is 2 of the best pacers in the Pakistan team, they dont really get criticized and Nawaz gets all the flak?

Is there anyone here who thinks in terms of skill, the other pacers in the squad could do better than Shaheen and Haris? I agree that Nawaz is being unfairly singled out here.

It was a close match, and the last over was unlucky. If we really want to criticize the team, then its the failure of the middle order batsmen to push the score in the last 6 overs of the Pakistan innings and the fact that the two premier fast bowlers gave 32 runs in their last 2 overs combined. I could easily see *any* bowler in the squad giving the same number of runs that Shaheen and Haris gave in their overs.

 

[jnaveen1980]

Pandya's presence delayed that bowling change till the end. Pandya can totally own Nawaz in the next over and completely shut the game for Pakistan. Issue was Pakistan bowling combo. Impossible to juggle bowlers when you are in a position to use 8 overs from spinners. How will you distribute?

 

[jnaveen1980]

All he had to do was bowl 6 fair deliveries and the batters would have given their wickets away trying to hit a 6. How can you be this nervous after playing so many internationals.

Bhuavneswar even after this many years bowl wides consistently in death overs. Things happen.

 

[chinaman00]

Pakistan doesn’t have a think-tank, it has a dumb-tank.

It was always criminal to go with two spinners on an Aussie pitch. Not to mention selecting serial failure Haider.

 

[Doc77]

Babar has shown that he has not common sense and understanding of the game.... Should have bowled an over from Ifthi at the 14/15over stage and finished with fast bowlers.

Clueless captaincy, bowling and no game plan on how to win.

 

[Shafi]

There is no hope for us in this World Cup. We will be lucky to go to semi and then bashed by Australia like 2021. Hopefully we go home early and get rid of clueless & selfish captain useless coaches and parchis along with chatterbox chairman and laptop selector.

 

[MenInG]

Pakistan playing with two spinners was always a disadvantage for them. They retained Haris Rauf for one over in the back end but Virat Kohli turned the tide with two magnificent sixes. Pakistan still had their chances with 16 runs to defend off the last over and hope had increased after Mohmmad Nawaz dismissed Hardik Pandya in the first over. But drama unfolded two deliveries later. With 13 required off the last three balls, Nawaz bowled a no ball, which was sent for a six, then a wide, conceded three more on byes before picking another wicket, of Dinesh Karthik, before bowling another wide and eventually Ashwin scored the winning runs. Nawaz was left shattered.

Following the loss, former India cricketer Virender Sehwag took a dig at Nawaz for his last-over setback, saying that he should have stuck with his natural left-arm spin deliveries rather than trying out new things.

“Main agar uss taraf hota toh main kehta ki aap apna nornal left-arm spin daliye. Kyunki run parenge, koi baat nehi. 16 run kam nehi hote, lekin daalne se dariye mat. Jo life main kabhi kiya hi nahi, matlab ball pakad ke...Wasim Akram thodi na hai aap? Toh phir kyun karna,” he said on Cricbuzz.

For India, it was a rather calculated approach in the run chase. With Pakistan having a spinner more, Kohli admitted that "Nawaz had one over to bowl", but they had to take their chances against Rauf.

"Hardik believed we can do it, if we stayed till the end. When Shaheen bowled from the pavilion end, that's when we decided to take him down. Haris is their prime bowler, and I hit those two sixes. The calculation was simple. Nawaz had one over to bowl, so if I could take Haris down, they would panic. From 28 in 8, it came down to 16 to 6. I tried to stick to my instincts. The first one was back of a hand slower ball (the one over long-on)," Kohli had revealed after his match-winning 53-ball 82*.

 

[Muhammad Saad]

Even I would have bowled the last over and lost the match for the team , what to appreciate about it?

 

[proud_pakistani]

Nothing to appreciate in it. He couldnt even bowl 6 legal deliveries on the trot. Wides and no balls in a final over is criminal. Id rather we had lost the game to 3 sixes in the last over. Also, Nawaz really shouldnt be bowling the final over, however thats a different discussion.

 

[ali_ed2006]

Nawaz should never have been given the last over to begin with. They should have bowled him out earlier in the game.

 

[mazkhan]

There wasn't enough runs on the board 180 is par scores against top batting teams

And you need to have 4 pace options , 3 just doesn't cut it and adds extra pressure on the bowling unit

 

[ethan hunt]

No, we have to be honest to ourselves. That was one of the worst overs ever in professional cricket. A spinner resorting to medium pace with the keeper back, bowling no balls and wides. That was a circus out there. Nawaz does not trust his bowling under pressure and the captain needs to know that.

Terrible captaincy, analysys and game awareness from Pak aside.

 

[Bhaag Viru Bhaag]

Credit to Nawaz? For what? Did he help Pakistan win?

 

[Corridor of Uncertainty]

India scored average of 16-17 of runs off pacers before Nawaz over. Why criticize Babar for choosing Nawaz at the end?

Hindsight is 20:20 but I would have done the same as Babar. Try to take the game to the last over and leave 22-23 runs for the better to get.

Both Shaheen and Haris failed by leaking runs and leaving only 15 for the last over.

Who would say if Shaheen bowled last over, he wouldn’t give away 17?

 

[samiakh]

T20 captaincy is a very fast paced “seat of the pants” type captaincy. It’s not like test cricket or even 50 over where you can let the match drift for a bit. I can think of at least two occasions now where Babar has gotten it wrong.

The first one was in the last WC SF. Afridi had bowled 2 tight overs and Imad had bowled one decent over. Warner was on strike and you knew this was the over to take a risk. Instead of tossing the ball to Haris or even Hasan (since you were playing him as a bowler) and telling get me this wicket. He gives Imad another over. Warner has a very good head to head with Imad and that over changed the momentum.

The second one was yesterday. Leave aside the brainless idea of not playing Wasim over Asif Ali. Babar was spot on bringing back the pacer for an over each from 14-16. If they had gotten him one or two wickets the game could have been different and he could risked Nawaz in the last over. But once they didn’t get those wickets it became fairly obvious that at least one set batsmen would be around at the end with plenty of wickets in the shed. In this situation you cannot leave the last over to a spinner. Remember Ajmal and Hussey. I would have taken Naseem defending 10 than Nawaz defending even 20. India needed 54 off 24 if Nawaz had bowled the 17th over and even if it had gone for 20 like his earlier one did, that’s 34 off 3 with your best bowlers bowling

 

[happydavy]

My only issue with Babar's strategy is that once Pandya got out, why didn't nawaz switch to spin bowling than bowling medium pace full of full tosses and wides. All that was needed at that stage was 2 good balls to seal the match and not some big strategy.

 

[Fenrir]

Nawaz bowled two wides in the last over.He couldn’t handle the pressure.Pakistan team selection was wrong.Asif Ali only scores in a blue moon.He should be replaced by Wasim or Hasnain.

 

[GLORY OF '92]

Viru is spot on back your talent why try and bowl medium? I like Nawaz but that was strange.

 

[Amjid Javed]

Babar once again showed he was a mediocre captain. At 33/4 he decides hes going to get through 8 overs of spin and let india get back into the game, whilst still getting into their inns both kohli/Hardik smashed Nawaz about in his 3rd over. with that being the case why later in game would you leave same bowler to bowl last over vs same now set batsmen.

Pakistan are a average team at best but they could get better results as a unit, why dont they is because Babar is on a par with Moyo and Moin khan when it comes to dumb / negative and uninspiring captaincy.

 

[TeymurBlake]

Bowling him the last over was poor. Against India, he and Ifti should have rotated there overs around the pacers.

 

[Fenrir]

Babar once again showed he was a mediocre captain. At 33/4 he decides hes going to get through 8 overs of spin and let india get back into the game, whilst still getting into their inns both kohli/Hardik smashed Nawaz about in his 3rd over. with that being the case why later in game would you leave same bowler to bowl last over vs same now set batsmen.

Pakistan are a average team at best but they could get better results as a unit, why dont they is because Babar is on a par with Moyo and Moin khan when it comes to dumb / negative and uninspiring captaincy.

If Pakistan get rid of Asif Ali,Khushdil and possibly Haider Ali then can be a good team.They need a fast bowling all rounder and two solid batsmen in the middle order.The bowling is fine.Rauf is genuinely quick,Shaheen and Nasim can swing the ball.Hasnain is quick too and gets bounce.Hasnain,Wasim and Dhani need to work hard and improve their bowling.Shadab is good leg spinner.Nawaz is good in subcontinent conditions.

 

[Oneking]

Credit to nawaz unfounded he didn’t get the MOM award lol

 

[MenInG]

At the end of the game

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[TheSultan]

Our new age team should stop all this nicety nicety stuff.

I get you have to back your players, but it sends the wrong message. Players who fail should feel bad, they should try and improve. We have too much of an easy going culture.

They release babar’s speech after the game. Why? What is the point of publicly posting it? What do you want? Some fair play award?

Stop this goody two shoes rubbish. Go and play your cricket. Play it hard. Keep it real. Feel bad, very bad when you lose. Sure, back each other up in private. Show compassion to your team mates in private, but also show that it has consequences too.

You don’t need to publicly release all these statements, motivational speeches, cake cutting etc etc.

 

[topspin]

Agreed, not Nawaz fault Babar blundered by playing two pacers and a half fit Shaheen. Shouldn't be turned into a scapegoat here.

The problem is our fans remember how it ended not how it began and subsequently how it unfolded.

Some of the delusion on here is unreal. People calling Muhammad Nawaz have such short memories.

The guy played a blinder to win us the game against India in the Asia Cup and guess what most of the fans here were giving credit to Rizwan who was batting a run a ball during the powerplay and was always batting well below the required asking rate. Nawaz saved his @ss that day. Even though we won, I could see that the win didn't paper over the cracks.

 

[Suleiman]

Viru is spot on back your talent why try and bowl medium? I like Nawaz but that was strange.

Yeah. Part of the blame goes to Babar too because he probably signed off on it.

Going into this game with 2 spinners was always going to backfire. Our strength is our pace attack, we desperately needed to play Waseem or Hasnain.

However; this management / think tank / coach-captain are very very conservative. They thought that because we’ve been using 2 spinners this whole year that we should do it again. Zero foresight or reading of the game situation, conditions and pitch.

Did Tait not suggest any of this despite him being from here?

we lack game awareness strategically pre, post and during games.

 

[Suleiman]

The problem is our fans remember how it ended not how it began and subsequently how it unfolded.

Some of the delusion on here is unreal. People calling Muhammad Nawaz have such short memories.

The guy played a blinder to win us the game against India in the Asia Cup and guess what most of the fans here were giving credit to Rizwan who was batting a run a ball during the powerplay and was always batting well below the required asking rate. Nawaz saved his @ss that day. Even though we won, I could see that the win didn't paper over the cracks.

Nawaz should’ve still 100% played. His batting is invaluable at this point. It’s Asif who should’ve been dropped for a pacer.