Harsha Bhogle critiques Babar Azam's uncharacteristic innings in T20 WC opener

Renowned cricket commentator Harsha Bhogle took to 'X' to share his observations on Babar Azam's performance in Pakistan's T20 World Cup 2024 opener against the United States. 

Bhogle expressed his disappointment with Babar's uncharacteristic innings, stating, "I have seen Babar Azam play many fine innings. This 44(43) won't be among them. On a decent surface, he looked strangely out of rhythm."

Babar  widely regarded as one of the premier batsmen in world cricket, struggled to find his usual fluency on a pitch that appeared favorable for batting. Despite scoring 44 runs off 43 balls, his innings lacked the fluidity and command typically associated with his game.

The match, held at the Grand Prairie Stadium, saw Pakistan set a target of 160 runs for the USA. After a disastrous start, with the top-order faltering at just 26 runs, Babar and Shadab Khan worked to rebuild the innings. Their 72-run partnership was crucial, but Babar's inability to accelerate the scoring rate became a point of concern.

Shadab Khan's aggressive 40 off 25 balls provided some respite for the struggling Pakistani side, but following his dismissal, the batting order crumbled. Azam Khan's golden duck and Iftikhar Ahmed's modest 18 added to the pressure. It was Shaheen's late surge of 23 runs off 16 balls that helped Pakistan post a total of 159-7 in their 20 overs.

Playing XIs:

Pakistan: Babar Azam (capt), Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Usman Khan, Fakhar Zaman, Azam Khan, Iftikhar Ahmed, Shadab Khan, Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah, Mohammad Amir, Haris Rauf

USA: Steven Taylor, Monank Patel (capt, wk), Andries Gous, Aaron Jones, Nitish Kumar, Corey Anderson, Harmeet Singh, Jasdeep Singh, Nosthush Kenjige, Saurabh Netravalkar, Ali Khan