PAK vs ENG 2022: “Don’t follow social media trends, think about their class” - Former India batter’s message for Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan’s critics

Former Indian batter Mohammad Kaif has taken a dig at critics of Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan, advising them to stop following social media trends. He stated that class players cannot be written off due to loss of form.

The Pakistan opening duo came under fire following the team’s loss in the Asia Cup final to Sri Lanka. Rizwan’s batting was questioned despite the fact that he was the leading run-getter in the tournament. Babar, meanwhile, had a forgettable campaign, scoring only 68 runs in six matches.

According to some experts, the duo did not take the initiative to score quickly enough, thus putting pressure on the middle-order batters. In the second T20I against England on Thursday, September 22, Babar and Rizwan responded to the critics with terrific efforts.

The duo added a record unbeaten 203 runs for the opening wicket as Pakistan thumped England by 10 wickets in Karachi. Praising Babar and Rizwan for their fantastic batting performances, Kaif tweeted:

“When criticising players like Babar and Rizwan don't follow social media trends, think about their class. Top players can't be written off because of loss of form. #babar #rizwan.”

Chasing a challenging target of 200, Pakistan’s opening duo took the team home in 19.3 overs. Skipper Babar (110* off 66 balls) registered his second T20I ton, smashing 11 fours and five sixes. Rizwan returned unbeaten on 88 off 51, striking five fours and four sixes.

The unbeaten 203-run stand is now the highest T20I partnership for Pakistan. The prolific duo broke their own record of 197 against South Africa last year.

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“We have a lot of belief in each other” - Rizwan on his partnership with Babar

Speaking after the series-leveling win, Rizwan said that he enjoys a very good equation with the captain, which is why their pairing is so successful.

Speaking in a video posted on the Pakistan Cricket Board's (PCB) official social media handles, he explained:

“We have a lot of belief in each other. Somewhere, we blindly trust each other. If he says that we have to go after the bowling, then I understand why he is saying that. In this innings, at the start, I was hitting the ball well. After that, he also found his groove and then we went all the way.”

Sharing his views on his camaraderie with Rizwan while batting, Babar added:

“Through our partnership, we want to set a platform so that things get easier for the middle-order. Our plan is to get 80-90 in the first 10 overs. We discuss plans hour to hour as to how to execute them.”

The third T20I of the seven-match series between England and Pakistan will be played in Karachi on Friday, September 23.