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Updated July 14th, 2021 at 11:07 IST

Shoaib Akhtar lambasts Pakistan after ODI series whitewash says, 'This is not defendable'

Shoaib Akhtar has lambasted Pakistan after their ODI series loss to a second-string England side at Edgbaston on Tuesday. Eng beat Pak by three wickets

Reported by: Karthik Nair
Shoaib Akhtar, Pakistan
Credits: PTI/@ICC/Twitter | Image:self
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Pace icon Shoaib Akhtar lambasted the Pakistan cricket team after they were blanked by a second-string England side in the dead-rubber third ODI at Edgbaston on Tuesday. Chasing a stiff target of 332, the hosts achieved the target in the 48th over as Pakistan were left to lick their wounds because of sloppy fielding in the second innings.

Shoaib Akhtar lambasts Pakistan after ODI series whitewash

"Pakistan has shamefully gone down 3-0 which I cannot defend. This is not at all defendable. The reason why it is not defendable is because Pakistan has lost 3-0. In the last three matches, there was no fight in two of them. The fight was seen in the third game and Pakistan played well. You may or may not buy into this argument but Pakistan does struggle when there is a bit of seam and swing. The (Pakistani) batsman are unable to understand this", said Shoiab Akhtar while interacting on his official YouTube channel.

"Secondly, another biggest problem of Pakistan is that they are playing T20. This is One-Day, 50-overs game where you have to play like a 50-over match and it is being played as T20s. So how will you able to score runs? Where is the rotation of the strike? Nothing. When you also play 100-125 dot balls, obviously you are not for the rotation of strikes. You are not attacking. What is the mindset?- T20s. You either defend or hit", he added.

"(James) Vince and (Lewis) Gregory showed you how partnerships matter. They stitched a 125-run stand (129 runs for the sixth wicket). Partnerships on good tracks, rotation of the strikes, taking singles and attacking on the field, taking singles, doubles and triples require fitness, awareness, and the ability to find gaps and along with that, you have to get fit and stay at the crease. They (England) showed that as well", the tearaway fast bowler further added.

England whitewash Pakistan in ODI series

Coming back to the contest, Imam, who is the nephew of former Pakistan captain and 1992 World Cup winner Inzamam-ul-Haq scored a 73-ball 56 before being castled by spinner Matt Parkinson. Prior to his dismissal, Imam had added 92 runs for the second-wicket stand along with his skipper Babar Azam. 

Babar then continued to stabilise Pakistan's innings as he led from the front and scored a brilliant century. This was his 11th ton in ODI cricket and he carried on after reaching three figures. Azam scored a stupendous 139-ball 158 before being accounted by Dawid Malan off Brydon Carse. His innings included 14 boundaries and four maximums at a strike rate of 113.67. Wicket-keeper batsman Mohammad Rizwan too chipped in with a handy 74 as the Men In Green finished at 331/9 from their 50 overs.

In reply, England did lose their openers Dawid Malan and Phil Salt early but middle-order batsman James Vince anchored his team's chase with a 95-ball 102. Some important contributions in the middle from stand-in-captain Ben Stokes and Lewis Gregory played a vital role in helping the reigning 50-overs world champions get past the finish line by three wickets and two overs to spare.

By the virtue of this win, England successfully handed a 3-0 whitewash to Pakistan in the ODI series. 

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Published July 14th, 2021 at 08:40 IST

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