ISLAMABAD: Babar Azam continued to bat for his selected eleven which figured in all six Pakistan matches in the T20 World Cup, saying he preferred using experience rather than going for youngsters.
In a post-semi-final media talk, Babar said winning and losing was part of the game. “What I preferred was to pick experienced, tried and tested bunch of players rather than going for raw youth.
“I have a firm belief in experienced players — that was why I played all the matches with the same combination. We have upcoming youth with us but they need exposure and experience. You cannot put them straight into the playing XI. Our experienced players have shown some exceptional performance till the semis,” he said.
Babar admitted that the catch dropped by Hasan Ali at a crucial juncture was the turning point. “Had we got rid of Wade, we would have had a good chance of pinning down the new batsman. But sometimes dropped catches become an ugly part of the game and that was exactly what happened when we had an upper hand. Hasan has served Pakistan well in the past. We will continue to back him. He needs our support,” he added.
Babar also defended his captaincy that saw him preferring pacers over spin against Australia. “These pacers have won so many matches for us. That is why I preferred pace over spin. But sometimes even your best bowler struggles,” he said.
Pakistan captain said that Mohammad Hafeez was a bit struggling with his bowling. “That was why he was not given more overs. Even Imad was not given a full quota of overs as I had a firm belief in fast bowlers,” he added.
The captain was all praise for his team. “They have played exceptional cricket. No one had rated us so high till we defeated the best of teams on our way to the semis. Besides toss, some other happenings went against us. Any other day, things could have been different,” he said.
Babar gave full credit to Mohammad Rizwan for his exceptional willpower. “He was in ICU and was struggling to get fit and ready for the semis. Hats off to him! Despite not being hundred percent fit, he played in semis and gave an exceptional performance with the bat. Any other individual going through such an ordeal would not have dared to play,” he said.
Later, during a talk in the dressing room, he asked his charges not to point finger at any player. “No one but the whole team is responsible for wins and losses. You are a unit and you have proved that. It is difficult to form such a unit so stay united. We have some important international commitments ahead of us. Our unity would help us prevail over the opposition in the upcoming series.”
Batting consultant Mathew Hayden during his interaction with players said he was proud to be part of such an exceptional unit that fought admirably well throughout. “It was a great experience for me. I am proud of my players,” he said.
Bowling consultant Vernon Philander said there was a need not to repeat mistakes when next time the team took the field. “You have given extra five percent in every match. There is always room for improvement. Hopefully, we will improve,” he added.
Score Board
Australia won toss
Pakistan
M. Rizwan c Smith b Starc 67
B. Azam c Warner b Zampa 39
F. Zaman not out 55
A. Ali c Smith b Cummins 0
S. Malik b Starc 1
M. Hafeez not out 1
Extras (b5, lb1, nb2, w5) 13
Total (4 wickets, 20 overs) 176
Did not bat: S. Khan, I. Wasim, H. Ali, H. Rauf, S. Afridi
Fall: 1-71 (Babar), 2-143 (Rizwan), 3-158 (Ali), 4-162 (Malik)
Bowling: Starc 4-0-38-2 (w1), Hazlewood 4-0-49-0 (nb1, w1), Maxwell 3-0-20-0, Cummins 4-0-30-1 (nb1, w1), Zampa 4-0-22-1 (w1), Marsh 1-0-11-0 (w1)
Australia (target 177)
D. Warner c Rizwan b Shada 49
A. Finch lbw b Shaheen 0
M. Marsh c Ali b Shadab 28
S. Smith c Zaman b Shadab 5
G. maxwell c Rauf b Shadab 7
M. Stoinis not out 40
M. Wade not out 41
Extras (lb2, nb3, w2) 7
Total (5 wickets, 19 overs) 177
Did not bat: P. Cummins, M. Starc, Adam Zampa, J. Hazlewood
Fall: 1-1 (Finch), 2-52 (Marsh), 3-77 (Smith), 4-89 (Warner), 5-96 (Maxwell)
Bowling: Shaheen 4-0-35-1 (nb1, w1), Imad 3-0-25-0, Rauf 3-0-32-0, Ali 4-0-44-0 (nb1), Shadab 4-0-26-4, Hafeez 1-0-13-0 (nb1, w1)
Result: Australia won by five wickets
Man of the match: M. Wade (AUS)
Umpires: Chris Gaffaney (NZL), Richard Kettleborough (ENG)
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