Pakistan could not overcome the last hurdle as the team lost to England by five wickets in the T20 World Cup match on Sunday at Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG).
Ben Stokes' composed innings knock of 52 off 49 deliveries helped the team reach 138 runs with an over to spare. England won their second T20 World Cup title, adding to their 2010 triumph when they defeated Australia in the final; however, there will be significant questions for Pakistan when they return to the drawing board.
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Pakistan's batting woes returned to haunt the team in the crucial final, as the team failed to recover from the early blow of Mohammad Rizwan after being invited to bat first. Pakistan scored 137/8, and despite Alex Hales' early breakthrough in the first over, England came back because of Ben Stokes, who stayed at one end to make England register their second title win.
The former pacer, who previously criticised selection committee for poor selection, criticised Babar Azam for not trusting Mohammad Nawaz with the ball throughout the match. Nawaz bowled two overs for the team in its semi-final victory over New Zealand, taking the wicket of Glenn Phillips.
"Our bowling has been the best in this tournament; no one could attack us. But yes, I can't understand Nawaz's case. After the first match against India, there was video made in the dressing room where Babar told Nawaz he was a match-winner. After that, it was hard to judge whether he played as a batsman or a bowler,” Amir said.
"It shows you don't trust your player. If you're saying something, you should act on it. Nawaz bowls the first over in PSL. He has won matches on his own. He could've done something today. I couldn't understand the decision,” he maintained.
"Harry Brook was struggling against Shadab. Nawaz could've done something there. But then again, they will say that I criticise a lot. The captain should be brave. You didn't take brave decisions, and when you lose, these things are visible,” said Amir.
It was to be noted that Mohammad Nawaz did not bowl a single over in the mega-event final against England at Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG).