T20 World Cup 2022: "Babar and Rizwan are way too concerned about their rankings, what kind of cricket is this?" - Danish Kaneria on Pakistani openers
Former Pakistan spinner Danish Kaneria has expressed his displeasure over the lack of intent shown by Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan in the T20 World Cup 2022 final against England.
Speaking on his YouTube channel, he claimed that the two batters are only bothered about maintaining their respective positions in the ICC rankings. He pointed out how Babar played at an underwhelming strike rate in the summit clash, managing 32 runs off 28 balls.
Citing the example of Team India's Suryakumar Yadav, Kaneria stated that the player has risen to the top spot in the rankings in T20Is, even though he bats at No.4. He said:
"Babar Azam scored 32 runs off 28 balls. What kind of cricket is this? He should have scored at least 40 runs from those many deliveries. The two openers could have at least tried to hit. It doesn't matter if they failed, but at least they could have tried.
"Both Babar and Rizwan are way too concerned about their rankings. It's become a matter of ego now. But Suryakumar Yadav has claimed the top spot, despite batting at No.4. Ranking is secondary; it is the way you play that matters most."
While Babar got off to a decent start against England, Rizwan failed to make a significant impact in the crucial tie. The wicketkeeper-batter was dismissed for just 15 runs in the all-important fixture at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG).
England trump Pakistan by five wickets in T20 World Cup 2022 final
Jos Buttler won the toss and elected to field first against Pakistan in the T20 World Cup 2022 final on Sunday, November 13. The Men in Green struggled on a seam-friendly surface, losing wickets at regular intervals.
The Babar Azam-led side managed to post a modest total of 137/8 in 20 overs. Shan Masood was the top contributor for the side, mustering 38 runs. For England, Sam Curran emerged as the pick of the bowlers, bagging three scalps while conceding just 12 runs from his full quota of four overs.
While the Pakistani bowlers gave England a tough fight in the second half of the game, senior all-rounder Ben Stokes guided his side to a stunning victory with his unbeaten knock of 52.
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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Haris Rauf picked up two wickets for Pakistan, while Shaheen Afridi, Shadab Khan, and Mohammad Wasim Jr finished with one wicket each. England chased down the total with an over and five wickets to spare to lift the trophy.