Pakistan's white-ball captain, Babar Azam, has reacted after Pakistan clinched the series against Ireland with a thrilling victory in the third T20I in Dublin on Tuesday.
The 29-year-old attributed the success to the stellar performances of the bowlers, especially in the crucial moments of the series decider.
Speaking at the post-match conference, Babar acknowledged the aggressive batting display by Ireland in the initial ten overs but lauded Pakistan's bowling lineup for their resilience and strategic play.
"Credit to the Ireland batsmen for how they batted in the first 10 overs but (after that) all credit to our bowlers. The way Shaheen, Amir, Abbas, Imad Wasim, and Hassan Ali bowled – after 10 overs, they were 110 so we were looking at 180-190 or even 200 but we took some wickets and put pressure on them. Those 4 overs at the death were very good," Babar said.
The right-hand batter also highlighted the significance of effective communication and teamwork, underscoring their pivotal roles in forging a match-winning partnership of 139 runs alongside Rizwan.
"We had good communication in the middle because we have played a lot of cricket together; we were trying to play on our strengths with belief and the aim was to match with the run rate," he said.
Furthermore, the national team skipper highlighted the upcoming major tournament and expressed his team's readiness and positive takeaways from the series against Ireland.
"Big tournament coming up and this is good practice and now looking forward to the England series. There were lots of positives for us and we were able to execute our plans. Yes we made a few mistakes which we will sit and discuss," he concluded.
It is worth noting that the Men in Green have won the three-match T20I series against Ireland 2-1. Their next series before the World Cup 2024 is against England, where they are scheduled to play a four-match T20I series starting from 22nd May.
England vs Pakistan T20I series: