Pakistan, which was headed by Babar Azam, was defeated by England in the T20 World Cup final on Sunday, and as a result, their hopes of winning the competition for a second time were dashed. England won by a score of five wickets.
A slow start did not pay off as the batters persisted on dropping wickets at the death, and keeping wickets in hand for the final overs did not bear the desired outcome. Following the match, players such as Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan were criticised for their conservative attitude inside the powerplay.
Throughout the entirety of the World Cup, both India and Pakistan were subjected to criticism for their “slow starts” on the powerplays of their respective matches. On the other side, England played according to an entirely different strategy, in which every batter attacked the bowlers right from the start of the match.
After India and Pakistan’s loss to England, Babar was naturally questioned about the strategy that India and Pakistan use when competing in the shortest format of the game. This should not come as a surprise.
During the post-game news conference, the journalist asked Babar the following question, which is as follows: “When it comes to Twenty20 cricket, countries like India and Pakistan take the approach that the game should be played like a one-day match. You are required to hold onto the wicket and strike it at the end of the game.
England has often demonstrated to two major Asian nations how Twenty20 cricket has evolved in recent years. Are shocks of this nature absolutely necessary for a change of pace? Do you feel that you receive a powerful message when you participate in tournaments such as these, regardless of whether you are discussing Pakistan or India?”
In response to this question, Babar provided a fairly circumspect answer by stating that the circumstances of the game define the style of play, and that each side plays according to their own individual strategies.
“It really depends on the circumstances. What are the requirements from you, and then you will make a plan. We stayed true to our plan, which is something that any team should do.
Sometimes we are unable to deliver our very best, but we do our best not to make the same errors twice. However, this is just a normal element of the game. When you’re lucky, things go smoothly, but other times they don’t, “explained Babar.
“The appeal of cricket lies precisely in this aspect. Every day is unique in its own way. Everyone thinks and acts in their own unique way. I make use of it in the first six overs of the game. After the first six overs, both teams were having a difficult time “he continued his statement.
Ben Stokes was the one who led the way for England in their pursuit of Pakistan’s score of 137 runs in 20 overs that they had just achieved in the final. As a direct consequence of this, the Three Lions were crowned champions of the competition for a second time, having previously done so in 2010.