"Batted as if it was a very difficult pitch" - Basit Ali on Babar Azam, Abdullah Shafique & Saud Shakeel's slow knocks in PAK vs ENG 2024 1st Test
Former Pakistani cricketer Basit Ali was unimpressed by the timid approach of Babar Azam, Abdullah Shafique, and Saud Shakeel in the first innings of the ongoing Test series opener between Pakistan and England in Multan. He opined that the three batters failed to show positive intent despite a batting-friendly pitch.
Shafique notched up a century in the innings, scoring 102 runs off 184 balls at the top of the order, while Saud Shakeel finished with 82 runs in 177 balls. Babar, on the other hand, was unable to get a big score under his belt, perishing after a 30-run knock.
Reacting to the three players' batting exploits, Basit Ali said in a video shared on his YouTube channel (from 2:45):
"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 pointed out that skipper Shan Masood Agha Salman played according to the pitch, looking to play with an attacking approach. Masood and Salman were the top performers with the bat for the Men in Green, scoring 151 and 104*, respectively.
Suggesting that Saud Shakeel too should have looked to up the ante against spinners, Basit remarked (from 1:47):
"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. Yes, scoring runs early on is easier because of an attacking field set, like how Zak Crawley also did. When Saud Shakeel was batting, England were bowling on one side. However, the mid-on and mid-off were inside the circle for spinners. He could have looked to clear those fielders."
Pakistan won the toss and chose to bat first in the Test series opener against England. The hosts registered an imposing 556-run total in the first innings.
"Hitting a hundred at No. 8 is a big achievement" - Basit Ali on Agha Salman
In the same video, Basit Ali also suggested that Agha Salman has been a consistent performer for Pakistan in Test cricket. He lauded the 30-year-old for scoring a century while batting at No. 8.
The cricketer-turned-commentator cited the examples of Australian batters who started their careers lower in the batting order but gradually rose. Hoping that the Pakistani think tank give Salman the chance to do the same, he said (from 0:28):
"In Australia, the likes of Steve Waugh, Michael Hussey, Ricky Ponting and Shane Watson played at No. 6 when they came into the team. There are others too like Mark Waugh and Damien Martyn who started at No. 6 and slowly and gradually moved up the order."
"Salman Ali Agha has been playing at No. 7 for a while now. He has been performing well and was even the Man of the Series against Sri Lanka. He batted at No. 6 here because of the nightwatchman. Hitting a hundred at No. 8 is a big achievement. Will he get a chance to bat higher up the order or is he just going to remain an all-rounder?" he added.
At the time of writing, England are 107/1 in 22 overs, still trailing Pakistan by 449 runs.