Babar feels satisfied after Pakistan’s series victory over Ireland /

 Babar feels satisfied after Pakistan’s series victory over Ireland

Asher Butt 

Pakistan’s white-ball captain, Babar Azam, expressed his delight over his team’s performance after securing a victory in the third T20I against Ireland. The Men in Green clinched the series with a thrilling win in Dublin on Tuesday. Babar attributed the success to the stellar performances of the bowlers, especially during crucial moments in the series decider.

Speaking at the post-match conference, Babar acknowledged the aggressive batting display by Ireland in the initial ten overs. However, he 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,” Babar said. He specifically praised the efforts of Shaheen Afridi, Mohammad Amir, Mohammad Abbas, Imad Wasim, and Hassan Ali. After the first 10 overs, Ireland had reached 110 runs, and Pakistan was looking at a target of 180-190 or even 200. However, the Pakistani bowlers took crucial wickets and applied pressure, especially in the final four overs of the innings.

Babar also highlighted the significance of effective communication and teamwork. He emphasized their pivotal roles in forging a match-winning partnership of 139 runs alongside wicketkeeper-batsman Mohammad Rizwan. “We had good communication in the middle because we have played a lot of cricket together; we were trying to play to our strengths with belief, and the aim was to match the run rate,” Babar explained.

“Our team showed improvement during the Ireland series, especially in the batting department,” said the star batter.

He appreciated contributions by the top-order batters Rizwan and Fakhar Zaman, while also showing faith in lower-order batters Iftikhar Ahmed and Azam Khan.

“Rizwan and Fakhar stood out throughout the series, however, the performance by Iftikhar Ahmed and Azam Khan in the lower order has been promising,” he added.

Looking ahead, Babar expressed readiness for the upcoming major tournament and identified positive takeaways from the series against Ireland. “Big tournament coming up, and this is good practice. 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’s worth noting that Pakistan 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 May 221. Here’s the schedule for the England vs. Pakistan T20I series:

May 22: First T20I in Leeds (10:30 pm PST)

May 25: Second T20I in Birmingham (6:30 pm PST)

May 28: Third T20I in Cardiff (10:30 pm PST)

May 30: Fourth T20I at The Oval, London (10:30 pm PST)