Mohammad Amir speaks on Babar Azam (Source: X/AFP Photos)
Whenever there is a conversation around Pakistan cricket, Babar Azam often finds himself out of nowhere. And Mohammad Amir often criticised the former Pakistan captain whenever they performed poorly as a team.
However, the scene was not the same after Pakistan’s humiliating defeat against Bangladesh in the first ODI of the three-match series. The Shaheen Afridi-led side were crushed and bulldozed, and Nahid Rana and Tanzid Hasan were the architects to get the job done.
Mohammad Amir Tears Apart Shaheen Afridi's Pakistan
Speaking on Facebook after the match, Amir did not hold back after seeing Pakistan getting humiliated by Bangladesh. He, in fact, labelled Pakistan an associate-level team, especially after the show they had put on altogether in Mirpur.
“We are now starting to lose to Bangladesh. I’m worried we might even become an associate-level team (translated from Hindi),” Amir said.
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Moreover, Amir highlighted how much Pakistan missed senior players in the playing XI, especially someone like Babar Azam. The 31-year-old was dropped from Pakistan’s squad for the Bangladesh tour, and Amir said they needed him to nurture the youngsters to perform at the highest level.
“You can’t just drop senior players and play only youngsters. There needs to be guidance and experience in the team (translated from Hindi),” Amir added.
Babar Azam ODI Stats
Even though Babar Azam has been going through a rough patch for a while, his playing style suits ODI cricket more than anything else. His ODI numbers are equally impressive, with an average of 53.72 for 6501 runs across 137 innings speaking for themselves.
Overall, Babar Azam has notched up 20 centuries and 37 fifties in ODIs, with the highest score of 158.
Interestingly, Babar has never played an ODI match in Bangladesh, although he played four 50-over matches against the Tigers, tallying 123 runs.
What Happened In PAK vs BAN 1st ODI?
Pakistan had no luck before the match even began, as Bangladesh captain Mehidy Hasan Miraz won the toss and asked them to bat first. They got a decent start, with Sahibzada Farhan and Maaz Sadaqat adding 41 runs without losing any wickets.
However, they kept losing wickets from there on, leaving them reeling at 82/9. None of the experienced campaigners – Mohammad Rizwan and Salman Agha – could last long, as Nahid Rana breathed fire on a not-so-typical Mirpur track.
Eventually, Pakistan were folded for 114 in 30.4 overs, with Faheem Ashraf making 37 off 47 balls to save the grace. Miraz had three wickets under his name, while Nahid Rana took five wickets. Taskin Ahmed and Mustafizur Rahman had a wicket each.
Coming to the chase, Tanzid Hasan Tamim did not stop for a moment, as his 42-ball 67 not out, which had seven fours and five sixes, singlehandedly helped Bangladesh to get past the finishing line within 15.1 overs.
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