Babar Azam blames batters for Asia Cup 2022 final defeat to Sri Lanka

Sri Lankan players pose with Asia Cup 2022 trophy

An insurgent Sri Lankan unit sprung another surprise, this time in the final of the 2022 Asia Cup. The Dasun Shanaka-led side held their nerves on the big day, and dusted the high-flying Pakistan by 23 runs in Dubai.

After the match, Pakistan skipper Babar Azam congratulated the victorious Sri Lankan team and also blamed his batting line-up for not coming up trumps in the final.

Sri Lankan players celebrate Asia Cup 2022 win

Asia Cup 2022 final: Babar Azam rues batting and dropped chances

Babar Azam congratulated Sri Lanka for their performance and hailed their remarkable comeback with the bat after losing early wickets. The Pakistani captain also blamed his batters for not overcoming the Sri Lankan total, as they fell 23 runs short of their target. After the match, he said:

“Firstly, I would like to congratulate Sri Lanka for winning the Asia Cup. The way Bhanuka and Wanindu played after the 5th wicket fell down, was really good. We didn't bat as per our potential and yes definitely, we didn't end the game, the way we started.”

Azam himself endured a silent run with the bat, yielding just 68 runs off six Asia Cup 2022 innings with the bat. Moreover, he also lost his number one spot in the ICC rankings for T20I batsmen to his opening partner Mohammad Rizwan.

The 27-year-old also lamented his side’s fielding lapses in the title-clash. However, despite the defeat, the ‘Men in Green’ skipper hailed Naseem Shah, Mohammad Rizwan and Haris Rauf, describing their performances as Pakistan’s positives from the tournament.

“When you come in the finals, the margin for mistakes is lesser. We were a bit off in the fielding. But I think there were a lot of positives, including Naseem Shah, Mohammad Rizwan, Mohammad Nawaz, Haris Rauf, etc. Thank you!!”

ALSO READ: Inzamam-Ul-Haq shares his advice for struggling Babar Azam