DUBLIN: Pakistan’s white-ball captain, Babar Azam, expressed satisfaction with the team’s performance in the Ireland series and vowed to maintain the same momentum against England.
Pakistan defeated Ireland in the final T20I to clinch the three-match series 2-1, courtesy of Azam and Mohammad Rizwan’s swashbuckling half-centuries.
Azam reflected on the team’s performance after the game and appreciated the batters for showing responsibility after the shocking loss in the first match.
“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.
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The star-batter also heaped praise on bowlers, especially all-rounder Imad Wasim for his economical spells.
“If we talk more about bowling, Imad Wasim is bowling very well in difficult situations. Amir is playing a perfect role as a senior bowler, while Shaheen Afridi once again proved himself as an outstanding bowler,” he said.
He also expressed optimism for the upcoming four-match T20I series against England and vowed to maintain the same momentum as in the Ireland series.
“You will continue to see positive intent from batters during the England series and we will try to maintain this momentum,” he concluded.
Pakistan and England will square off in the first T20I on May 22 at Headingley, followed by the second match at Edgbaston on May 25.
After the conclusion of the series, the Pakistan team will depart for the United States of America (USA) to participate in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024.
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