NEW DELHI: Former cricketer Ramiz Raja highlighted the struggles of Pakistan batters
Azam Khan
and
Shadab Khan
in the second T20I against
England
.
Despite the middle-order's attempt to stabilize the innings after a shaky start, both Azam and Shadab found it challenging to make an impact against England's strong bowling attack.
Azam's dismissal while attempting a cover drive against Jofra Archer was particularly notable, showcasing his difficulty in facing pace bowling.
Ramiz emphasized that Azam's struggles against pace could pose problems for Pakistan, as opposing teams may exploit this weakness to unsettle him and force him out of his comfort zone.
"Azam Khan's batting against pace is problematic. With the team, as big teams will analyse him, they will use short balls against him, and they will make him come out of his comfort zone. His strike rate against spin is very good but not against pace," Ramiz said on his YouTube channel.
In addition to Azam's challenges, Shadab also faced difficulties in making an impact with the bat. He was caught off guard by the spin of experienced bowler
Adil Rashid
, managing only a score of 3 before being dismissed. This further added to Pakistan's batting woes in the match against England.
The former PCB chairman questioned the role of the all-rounder with the bat and his approach at the number five role.
"I need to understand Shadab Khan's role with the bat. When he comes to bat, he starts hitting like a slogger at number 5. At that time, you needed to build a partnership and take the game deep with wickets in hands," he added.
Coming to the match, England skipper
Jos Buttler
's 84-run blitz off 51 deliveries propelled the hosts to 183/7 after being put to bat. In reply, it was a collective effort from Pakistan batters to help their team get across the line. However, none of them stayed on the pitch long enough to see off the game for the visitors.
Most of them lost their wicket while attempting to clear the boundary rope during the chase of 184. England bowlers played their cards at the right time to clinch a 23-run win.
(With ANI inputs)
English (US) ·