ENG vs PAK 2022: "A clear lack of intent" - Danish Kaneria unimpressed with Pakistan's batting efforts in T20 World Cup final
Former cricketer Danish Kaneria has criticized Pakistan's batters for their underwhelming performances in the T20 World Cup 2022 final against England on Sunday, November 13.
He opined that openers Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan failed to provide the team with an ideal start, not scoring enough runs during the powerplay overs. Kaneria slammed the batting unit for not showing any intent in the all-important summit clash.
The 41-year-old also highlighted how Rizwan has been committing the same mistakes repeatedly, getting out to an inside edge. Speaking on his YouTube channel, he remarked:
"The way Pakistan played in the final was very poor. Poor captaincy from Babar Azam. The way Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan started with the bat was also quite disappointing.
"There was a clear lack of intent from the batters. It was a 170-run wicket, and they needed to score close to that."
He added:
"The way Babar and Rizwan batted during the powerplay, I mean, what were they doing? They completely wasted the first six overs. Rizwan got out to Sam Curran after getting an inside edge. This is not the first time he has got out in this fashion."
After being asked to bat first at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), Babar Azam and Co. managed to post 137/8 in 20 overs. The side ultimately failed to win the trophy, suffering a heartbreaking five-wicket loss against England.
"Looked very scared" - Danish Kaneria on Pakistan's batting in T20 World Cup 2022 final
Kaneria went on to say that he was sure of the side registering a sub-par total, given that the batters seemed too scared against the English bowlers.
He felt that Shan Masood was the only saving grace for the team, scoring runs at a healthy rate. The left-handed batter was the top-scorer for Pakistan, mustering 38 runs off 28 balls.
The former cricketer added:
"Pakistan came back into the game thanks to Shan Masood's knock. He made the most of the big ground with singles and doubles. I knew when I was watching the game that they were going to score somewhere between 135 and 140. There was no way they could have scored more, as they looked very scared."
Congratulations @ECB_cricket. You are worthy champions.
Enjoy and celebrate this moment, and we look forward to hosting you in December for the three-Test series.
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Jos Buttler and Co. chased down Pakistan's total comfortably with five wickets and an over to spare to win the T20 World Cup 2022. Ben Stokes starred with the bat for England, remaining unbeaten on 52.