Basit Ali, a former Pakistan cricketer, has urged Mohammad Rizwan to succeed Babar Azam as Pakistan’s new captain. Notably, Rizwan and Babar faced each other in Match 4 of the Pakistan Champions Cup between Markhors and Stallions, which Markhors won by 126 runs.
Batting first, Markhors were out for 231 runs in 45 overs. In reply, the Stallions were all out for 105 runs, with Zahid Mahmood taking 5/18 in 4.4 overs. Following his team’s amazing victory, Basit Ali praised Rizwan’s captaincy, calling him the best skipper in Pakistan.
After posting a reasonable total of 231, the Stallions took control when Rizwan threw the ball to Shahnawaz Dahani to bowl the eight overs. With a variety of shots, Babar hit five straight fours off Dahani, and the Stallions surged to 47/1, looking well-placed to chase down the target.
Rizwan switched tactics and did not pass the ball to Dahani for the remainder of the game. He changed the bowling lineup and deployed spinners and pacers in search of a breakthrough.
Naseem Shah rattled Shan Masood’s stumps, bringing Markhors back into the match. The one wicket caused the Stallions to collapse like a house of cards, folding for 105 in 23.4 overs.
Zahid Mahmood and Salman Ali Agha, the Stallions’ spinners, ripped through the batters to record an emphatic 126-run victory.
Mohammad Rizwan read the pitch well, which Babar Azam can’t do: Basit Ali
Former Pakistan cricketer Basit Ali was mightily impressed with the way Mohammad Rizwan skipper Markhors against Stallions in the Champions One-Day Cup. Following his team’s amazing victory, Basit Ali praised Rizwan’s captaincy, calling him the best skipper in Pakistan.
He praised Rizwan for his game sense and pitch-reading ability, claiming that even Babar couldn’t have done it. Basit went on to say that not being captain of the current team is a significant loss for the nation.
“The way Rizwan led the side, he proved there is no better skipper than him. He has shown it with his captaincy. He read the pitch; it is a big thing. Even Babar can’t do that. I am not even talking about Shan. If you don’t make him captain at this time, then it is a loss for Pakistan. This is the best time you should make Rizwan the captain,” Basit said on his YouTube channel.
Babar has been under fire for his poor captaincy since Pakistan’s failure to qualify for the Asia Cup 2023 final. They were also knocked out of the ODI World Cup 2023 in the league stage, followed by a group stage exit from the T20 World Cup 2024, which included a humbling loss to first-timers USA.
He also played poorly in their previous 0-2 series loss against Bangladesh, scoring only 64 runs in four innings.
Rizwan, on the other hand, finished with 294 runs in four innings, the most in the series. The 32-year-old was also Pakistan’s best run scorer in the ODI World Cup 2023, scoring 395 runs across eight innings.
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