Pakistan have lost two matches in the 2022 T20 World Cup, to India and Zimbabwe, which leaves their hopes of advancing to the semi-finals hanging by a thread. While they are dependent on other results, Pakistan also have to win all of their remaining games in the Super 12s convincingly in case net run rate comes into the picture.

Babar Azam’s team gave themselves a chance when they restricted the Netherlands to 91-9 in their 20 overs in their third match. They chased the target in 13.5 overs, with Mohammad Rizwan making 49 in 39 at a strike rate of 125.64. Babar was dismissed for a five-ball four in the second over, with Fakhar Zaman batting at No.3.

Fakhar, returning from an injury, played his first game in six weeks and struggled in his knock of 20 that came in 16 balls. Shan Masood, who batted at three in Pakistan’s earlier games in the edition, making 52* and 44, was pushed down a spot.

Amir criticised the tactics of the side and their inability to bat aggressively on 24 News. “If it’s a 20-over match and you are chasing 90 with ten wickets in hand and you know there is an issue regarding the [net] run rate. You played Fakhar, no one expected him to play at three. When you are chasing 90, and you are playing fearless cricket, then you don’t have this approach, simple as that, according to me.

“As a captain, you must think that you will chase 90 runs in nine or ten overs… Shan is scoring runs, you send him down to four. A player [Fakhar Zaman] returning from injury comes out at three. Fakhar was an opener but because of two openers [Rizwan and Babar], he started batting at three. Shan was an opener, he batted at three, but because of Fakhar, he is at four now. So you have sacrificed a player who is scoring runs [Masood] and an opener [Fakhar] – one is batting at three, and one at four – then why can’t one of the two openers sacrifice their place for quick runs?”

The former fast bowler also attacked Rizwan and Babar for their inability to score quickly, which he said hints at a “scared batting approach”.

“You could have given Fakhar the license to open and there was nothing to lose. We have to chase it down in nine or ten overs. If Fakhar and Shan can sacrifice their place, why can’t the captain and Rizwan sacrifice their spots when the team needs it to improve the [net] run rate? Winning against Holland is not a big deal, but if you had chased this in nine or ten overs, it would have suggested that the team needed to improve the run rate. What I saw was a scared batting approach.”

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