Pakistan captain Babar Azam struggled to explain his team’s horrific showing against England at Lord’s, which saw the side suffer their second consecutive defeat of the series. Babar, who recently returned as Pakistan’s Test captain, found it difficult to explain the team’s inability to challenge England, especially from a batting perspective. Speaking at the post-match presentation ceremony, Babar admitted that Pakistan “weren’t up to the mark” against the hosts. However, when asked if he would have changed anything when England were 80/4 in the first innings, Babar’s reply was surprising.
Pakistan failed to reach the 200-run mark in either innings at Lord’s, despite Saud Shakeel’s 97 in the second innings. Babar himself had an underwhelming match, registering scores of 8 and 6.
“I think we won the toss and bowled first to try and utilise the overcast conditions. We utilised them well and took early wickets, restricting them to 290. Then, with the bat, we were not up to the mark. In the second innings, Pakistan bowled outstandingly again. Abbas took five wickets, but then our batting collapsed once more. The way Saud played showed immense class and dedication; it was tremendous,” Babar said, reflecting on his team’s performance.
When asked whether there was anything he would change after England were reduced to 80 for 4 on the first morning, Babar’s response was a simple “No”. The answer surprised many, as critics felt the Pakistan skipper lacked the tactical acumen to go for the kill when England were on the ropes. Through his response, Babar indicated that he felt there was nothing more he could have done tactically.
“To be honest, no. We simply followed our plans across both departments, bowling and batting, trying to build partnerships. Unfortunately, they managed to build a crucial partnership with the bat. Full credit to England,” he added.
When asked where Pakistan need to improve ahead of the final Test at Edgbaston, Babar said: “To be honest, we are trying to do better in both departments, batting and bowling. We had opportunities, but we failed to seize them properly. We showed glimpses of quality in both disciplines, so we will try to put up a stronger performance in the final match.”
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