ENG vs PAK 2022: "Why did they stop his spell?" - Salman Butt on where Pakistan missed the trick in final vs England
Salman Butt believes Pakistan should have continued with Shaheen Afridi's opening spell in the T20 World Cup 2022 final against England on Sunday, November 13.
Speaking on his YouTube channel, he opined that the left-arm pacer should have bowled three overs upfront as the Men in Green needed to pick up wickets regularly in order to defend their ordinary total of 137.
He stated that skipper Babar Azam missed the trick by not giving the star bowler an extra over in the powerplay.
He said:
"Shaheen Afridi is more effective with the new ball and had also provided the side with an early breakthrough. Why wasn't he given a third over upfront? He is the most lethal bowler in the lineup and was in a great rhythm.
"The only way Pakistan could have won was by picking wickets. So why did they stop his spell at that stage? He should have been given a third over, and I would have even given him a fourth if he had taken a wicket."
Notably, Afridi gave his side an ideal start, dismissing England opener Alex Hales with a brilliant inswinger in the first over of the run chase. He hurt his knee while taking a catch later in the contest and had to leave the field after bowling just one ball in his second spell.
"While they did lose the game, there are a lot of positives to take" - Salman Butt on Pakistan's bowling exploits in T20 World Cup 2022 final
Butt heaped praise on the Pakistani bowlers for their inspired performance in the summit clash. He stated that they were able to create pressure by hitting the right areas consistently.
The 38-year-old claimed that Pakistan were a tad unlucky as the English batters kept on getting beaten against wicket-taking deliveries. He added:
"The young bowlers did a fantastic job and kept England under pressure. They bowled a lot of wicket-taking deliveries. Unfortunately, they kept getting beaten.
"With that said, it was an aggressive display from the bowling unit. While they did lose the game, there are a lot of positives to take from their efforts."
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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Pakistan were able to bag five wickets while defending a sub-par total. However, Ben Stokes showed great composure, remaining unbeaten on 52 to help his team chase down the target in 19 overs.