Pakistan's World Cup campaign took a hit as they suffered a one-wicket defeat against South Africa at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on Friday.
Former Pakistan cricketer Ramiz Raja took a dig at skipper Babar Azam, expressing his frustration over the captain's inability to convert his starts into big scores.
“The one who gets out after completing his fifty, give him the last warning for next match that if you repeat the same pattern, there is no space in team for you. Because he consumes the overs, spend the time on wicket, balance the innings but then destroy it completely as well,” Ramiz said.
Babar, who has been a crucial figure for Pakistan with the bat, managed to score a gritty 50 off 65 balls against South Africa, playing a responsible role in stabilizing the innings. However, it was his inability to capitalize on the good start that raised questions.
Azam's strike rate of 76.92 in the match has also come under scrutiny, with some arguing that he should have accelerated the scoring.
This loss marks Pakistan's fourth defeat in the 2023 World Cup, and it puts their campaign in jeopardy. With limited matches remaining in the tournament's group stage, Pakistan now faces a significant challenge to secure a spot in the knockout stage.