"There is only one place for bouncers at chest height - stands” – Wasim Akram slams Pakistan’s tactics against Rohit Sharma in 2023 World Cup
Former Pakistan captain Wasim Akram has slammed Pakistan’s bowling tactics against India captain Rohit Sharma in their 2023 World Cup match. The 57-year-old pointed out that Haris Rauf and Shaheen Afridi should have bowled face-height bouncers and not chest-height deliveries to Rohit, who dispatched them into the stands.
The statement came as Rohit led from the front in the run chase, scoring 86 runs off 63 balls, including six maximums and as many boundaries. His exploits with the bat helped India win the match by seven wickets.
Akram told A-Sports:
“(On Bowling) You have bowled bouncers at chest height. Rohit Sharma is not 6’5. If you’ve to bowl the bouncers, bowl at him face height and that too slightly outside off so that he pulls and there is fine leg, and square leg. If you bowl bouncers at chest height, there is only one place for it - stands.”
Misbah-ul-Haq, who has also captained Pakistan previously, pointed out Pakistan’s struggles against spin. That came as Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan added just 29 runs between the 20th to 27th overs.
Kuldeep Yadav sent back Saud Shakeel (6 off 10) and Iftikhar Ahmed (run-a-ball 4) cheaply before Ravindra Jadeja wrapped up Pakistan’s inning for 191 in 42.5 overs. Kuldeep and Jadeja finished with figures of 2/35 and 2/38, respectively.
Misbah-ul-Haq said:
“It’s simple. When you talk about Pakistan’s problems, if you look back at the Asia Cup and the 2019 World Cup, one thing is common, we have no clue when we play on slow pitches. We get stuck against spin."
The 49-year-old added:
"Even we don’t take on fast bowlers, we don’t take on against bowling [attack], we wait, and it leads to unsurmountable pressure, which leads to mistakes and wickets.”
“Any batsman would have got out on this kind of delivery” – Wasim Akram on Mohammad Rizwan’s wicket by Jasprit Bumrah in 2023 World Cup
Wasim Akram further credited Jasprit Bumrah for dismissing Mohammad Rizwan with a peach by disguising his delivery with a slow ball. The right-handed batter was bowled out by the Indian pacer after scoring 49 runs.
On Rizwan's dismissal, Akram said:
“(On Bumrah) Everything was finishing within the stumps, and there was the slowball against the set batsman. (On Rizwan’s wicket) Any batsman would have got out on this kind of delivery. It nipped back and then pitched, held its nice, and just clicked his off-stump.”
Watch the dismissal below:
Pakistan will next play Australia in their fourth 2023 World Cup match at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on October 20.
Click here to check out the full IND vs PAK 2023 World Cup scorecard.