LAHORE: Pakistan captain Babar Azam reckons that pace bowler Hasan Ali is going through a rough patch but everyone in the platoon is backing him to recapture the form that saw him won numerous matches for the country.
Hasan came under fire after he went wicketless in the one-off T20 International against Australia at the Gaddafi Stadium on Tuesday night as Pakistan succumbed to a three- gate loss.
Hasan returned for the side for the match, having sat out the last two One- day Internationals against Australia which Pakistan won to decide the three- match series 2-1.
The T20 game marked the end of Australia’s first stint of Pakistan since 1998, in which the callers also won the Test series 1-0.
“ Hasan is going through a bad patch and needs our support,” Babar told journalists during an online news conference after the match. “ We’ll continue to do so to help him to recapture lost touch and confidence.”
Babar said Pakistan got in to the match on several occasions after having posted 162-8 after being put into club but “ some of our top players failed to rise to the occasion”.
“ We’ll give them ( players) openings as we come up with a balanced combination for the T20 World Cup (in Australia latterly this time) for which we’ve time and we will succeed in making the combination for the mega event,” Babar asserted.
He added that he takes the final call to decide the stylish playing XI for each game.
“ But I also consult everyone (concerned) and take the stylish advice and try to do what’s good for the platoon to enhance its performance,” he said, adding that Pakistan’s low total contributed to the defeat.
“ We were a little short,” he said. “ We should have maintained the instigation and we should have performed more in fielding and also profited the chances which came our way in the match.”
Babar (66) and Mohammad Rizwan (23) gave Pakistan a fast launch — the hosts accumulating 56 in the powerplay — but they could n’t capitalise in the end.
Babar refused to accept that that his platoon was under pressure in the match or it lost the hassle because of dew factor at night.
“ We could ’ve sailed better and we will try to do better in our unborn assignments,” he said.
Babar, still, was happy with the performance of leg- incentive Usman Qadir who contributed an unbeaten 18 with the club to push Pakistan’s score over 150 while also picking two lattices with the ball.
“ He sailed well … indeed with the wet ball,” Babar said. “ It was a chance for him to cement his place in the side and he did a nice job.”
The game marked the end of Australia’s 38- day stint of Pakistan and their players left for home on Wednesday.
“ I suppose they enjoyed their time then,” Babar said. “ They looked veritably happy during the relations we had.”
Agencies add The final match of Australia’s stint, meanwhile, saw their commander Aaron Finch get his first half-century in 14 matches of justice’s shortest format as he drove his inexperienced side to palm.
Finch’s 55 runs from 45 balls helped Australia reach their target with five balls to spare and he said he noway misdoubted his fur form would return
“ I knew I could play a bit,” the 35- time-old said during an online news conference. “ I always had confidence, I always had faith. It’s one of those effects that you go through, some spare patches at times. Everyone can feel to horrify, and as people get aged people horrify a little bit hastily.”
Finch was one of only three players from the Australia platoon that won the T20 World Cup in the United Arab Emirates last time to play in the match after Covid-19 infections, injuries and the resting of players weakened the team.
Marnus Labuschagne, Ben Dwarshuis and Cameron Green were all awarded their T20 debuts on Tuesday but it was paceman Nathan Ellis who caught the eye in his third match with 4-28.
“ Super proud of a fairly inexperienced group, plenitude of assignments learned,” said Finch.
Finch’s platoon won’t have long to stay to defend the World Cup with the coming edition set to take place in Australia in October and November.
The captain was unconcerned that the hosts have only six T20 internationals lined up before the event starts, given the experience in the team when everyone is available.
“ The maturity of that group will still be together so we can still talk and strategise,” he said. “ I do n’t suppose that that’s going to be a problem.”
As Australia rounded off an incident-free trip with palm, Finch said he’d a good time in Pakistan.
“ It’s been unthinkable, the spirit from both brigades,” said Finch. “ It’s been some really good tough justice but just a awful stint to be a part of, to be honest.”
Finch, however, had other reasons to be happy too.
“ Glad we do n’t have to drift to Babar any further for a while,” said Australia’s limited-overs captain after his Pakistan counterpart top- scored for the third match handling, having struck back-to- back centuries in the last two ODIs.
For Pakistan, there’s now renewed sanguinity that the successful Australian stint will paved the way for England and New Zealand to return after both called off series in Pakistan last time citing unidentified security enterprises.
