ENG v PAK 2021: Shoaib Akhtar slams Pakistan for electing to bowl first in the 2nd T20I
After winning the first T20I against England, Pakistan went into the second game high on confidence. They scored 232 runs in the first match while batting first and successfully won the game by 31 runs. However, Babar Azam won the toss in the second game and elected to bowl first. This surprised many as they had just won a game batting first and there was no reason to change something that had worked.
Pakistan's legendary pacer Shoaib Akhtar was among those who failed to understand the decision taken by Pakistan's management. He has always been known for being vocal with his opinions and did the same this around as well. Shoaib Akhtar said he did not understand the logic of bowling first on what was a great batting pitch.
It is noteworthy that bowling first has become a trend in T20 cricket. Teams prefer to know how much they need to chase in order to pace their innings accordingly. To add to this, England have one of the best batting line-ups in the world and are capable of chasing any given total. Keeping all this in mind, Pakistan's decision to bowl first does seem justified.
Pakistan suffer a 45-run loss in the 2nd T20I against England
Shoaib Akhtar tweeted his views barely halfway into the match. His tweet attracted much more attention after Pakistan suffered a big loss against England. Batting first, England finished with a score of 200 runs on the board. Jos Buttler was the top scorer for England with a 39-ball 59.
Pakistan, though, would have been happy with their comeback. At one stage it looked like England were well on course to score in excess of 230. The 201-run target was well within Pakistan's reach. Mohammad Rizwan and Babar Azam were part of a 50-run opening partnership that set things up for the Pakistan side. However, after their dismissal, none of the batsmen were able to form a partnership.
Pakistan were eventually bowled out for 155 runs and lost the match in an embarrassing manner. The series is now level at 1-1 and the final T20I is scheduled for July 20.