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'Couldn't Understand Rohit's Call To Bowl First': Shoaib Akhtar On IND-PAK Clash 

image-lnpv7txmRohit elected to bowl first against Pakistan [Twitter]

Shoaib Akhtar was surprised to see Indian skipper Rohit Sharma opting to bowl first and ask Pakistan to bat on a flat Ahmedabad pitch ahead of the high-voltage league stage encounter of the ICC World Cup 2023 on Saturday (October 14). 

With opposition captain Babar Azam calling the flip of the coin wrong, Rohit earned the chance to dictate the course for the proceedings early. However, the experienced leader shocked fans and experts by not making the first use of a good batting deck at the new stadium in Motera, which was packed to a capacity crowd of 1.2 lakhs. 

Akhtar was one of the prominent experts taken aback by the Indian skipper's decision to let Pakistan bat first and chase despite immense pressure and the weight of expectations associated with the fixture. 

Speaking in a video posted by the 'Rawalpindi Express' on Twitter, the former right-arm pacer deemed it a "weird decision" from the hosts to ask Pakistan to post a total in best of batting conditions when the great Indian team batting unit could've tried to take the match away from the neighbours' grasp. 

Shoaib Akhtar On Rohit's Decision To Bowl First 

Talking to his fans and followers in the context of Pakistan's rollicking start to 16/0 in just two overs, with multiple boundaries hit by opener Imam-Ul-Haq against Mohammed Siraj, Akhtar said he is happy for Babar's men with Rohit's decision. But equally surprised from an Indian perspective to see the captain not straightaway put the opposition under pressure. 

"Rohit Sharma won the toss, played his spinners, and it's such a good batting deck. I simply couldn't understand why he opted to bowl first?" Akhtar said. "I am very happy from Pakistan's perspective that they got the chance to make first use of such a good batting track and they are off to a flier."


"I didn't understand Rohit's call. They've already conceded four boundaries inside two overs. If the wicket is so flat, winning the toss and bowling first, was it a wise decision? Don't think so. It's so flat. I am afraid they've given Pakistan a chance to score lots of us," he added. 

Notably, the track in Ahmedabad has been conducive to chasing under lights with the dew settling on in the evenings and making the ball skid through whilst it grips and stops in the afternoon. At the same venue, England stuttered along to reach 282/9 in the World Cup opener before the target of 283 was chased down inside 37 overs by New Zealand.