Simon Doull has criticised the decision to send an injured Fakhar Zaman out at No.4 during Pakistan's chase in their Champions Trophy opening match against New Zealand.
Speaking on the television coverage of the game after Fakhar was out for a 41-ball 24, Doull said: "With him [Fakhar] not being able to find boundaries on a regular basis, he took everything away from Babar Azam to be able to push ones, push twos, run hard between the wickets. I think if he wasn't able to run properly, there was just no point in sending him out."
Fakhar had picked up an injury earlier in the match, two-balls into Pakistan's fielding innings, after pulling up while chasing a ball down to the boundary, seemingly having a problem with his right leg. He spent a significant amount of time off the field, but returned to the game later in the innings. He took a difficult catch at short third man to dismiss Glenn Phillips in the 50th over of the innings. Fakhar was later diagnosed with a 'muscular strain' according to the PCB.
Fakhar Zaman injured himself and had to leave the field just two balls into the Champions Trophy 😐
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However, because he had spent so much time off the field, he was not allowed to open the innings as he was carded to. Instead, Pakistan sent Saud Shakeel out to open alongside Babar, who hit six off 19 balls before he was dismissed by Will O'Rourke.
After Pakistan lost their second wicket, Fakhar was eligible to bat, having served the penalty time stipulated in the ICC regulations for spending time off the field. At the point he came to the crease, the required run-rate Pakistan needed to reach their target had climbed to 8.6 per over.
It was clear from when he started batting that Fakhar was in part hampered at the crease. He was unable to take quick singles, meaning that Babar also had to turn down runs on offer. The ICC rules do not allow runners for injured batters.
Match 1, Pakistan vs New Zealand
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Doull: Sending Fakhar was a wrong decision at the time
Given Fakhar's injury and subsequent limitations at the crease, Doull reasoned that he should have been held back for later in the innings to hit boundaries, rather than at a point where maintaining wickets while boosting the run-rate was crucial.
Also read: Pakistan penalised for taking over four hours to bowl first Champions Trophy innings
"Save him until the end," said Doull. "If you need 10 or 12 an over at the end and you need a hitter, then is the time for him to come in. But to get themselves back into the innings and to maybe run ones, run hard between the wickets, be able to find the gaps and be able to pick up the odd boundary, it just seems to me that it was a wrong decision at the time.
"That's not saying the game's done, but at the time it just felt like a poor decision, whether that be skipper or management-wise, to send him out, and take anything away from Babar to be able to run hard and rotate the strike between the wickets."
After Fakhar was out, Pakistan slipped to 153-6, with Babr dismissed for a 90-ball 64.
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