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'Babar, Shafique And..,': Basit Ali Slams Pakistan's Premier Batters For Timid Knocks Vs England

Basit Ali voiced strong criticism against three of Pakistan batters [Source: @virgostar37/X.com]Basit Ali voiced strong criticism against three of Pakistan batters [Source: @virgostar37/X.com]

Former Pakistan cricketer Basit Ali has voiced strong criticism against three of Pakistan's key batters during the first Test match against England. Despite favourable batting conditions on the Multan track, these players showed a defensive approach, which didn’t sit well with Ali. He argued that their overly cautious batting made it seem as if they were playing on a challenging pitch in Australia or England, instead of taking advantage of the flat track.

Abdullah Shafique managed to score a century (102 off 184 balls), but with a strike rate of 55.43, he was too slow in Ali’s eyes. Babar Azam's 30 runs off 71 balls at a strike rate of 42.25, and Saud Shakeel's 82 runs off 177 balls at a strike rate of 46.33, were also called into question.

Ali's comments come at a time when the intent shown by batters in Test cricket has become a hot topic. Fans and experts alike have criticised overly defensive play, especially when the pitch conditions favour batting. 

Speaking on his YouTube channel, Ali remarked, "Abdullah Shafique, Babar Azam and Saud Shakeel batted as if it was a very difficult pitch like what we get in Australia and England. They didn't play according to the pitch and were only concerned about taking their turns, which is wrong."

Basit Ali Praises Shan Masood and Agha Salman

In contrast, Ali had nothing but praise for Shan Masood and Agha Salman, who he felt played with the right intent and aggression. Shan Masood hammered 151 runs off 177 balls with a strike rate of 85.31, while Salman remained unbeaten with 104 off 119 balls at a strike rate of 87.39. 

"Salman Ali Agha and Shan Masood were the only two guys who played according to the pitch. What's the point of scoring 30 runs from 70-80 balls or scoring a hundred in 180 balls on such a flat track? Shan Masood scored 151 runs in 177 balls, while Saud Shakeel scored 82 runs from 177 balls,"  Ali said.

Despite the criticism, Pakistan put up a strong total of 556 runs. However, they collapsed towards the end of their innings, losing quick wickets to England's Jack Leach, who took three important wickets, including Shan Masood and Mohammad Rizwan.

The flat Multan pitch favoured the batters, but Pakistan’s inability to keep up the momentum might have given England the upper hand in the match.