“Nightmare tournament”: Shoaib Akhtar defines Asia Cup 2022 for Babar Azam and Fakhar Zaman

Shoaib Akhtar defines Asia Cup 2022: The former Pakistani fast bowler defined Asia Cup 2022 for their top-order batters.

During the final match of Asia Cup 2022 between Sri Lanka and Pakistan in Dubai, Pakistan top-order batters Babar Azam and Fakhar Zaman failed for another time to hinder the team’s progress in a 171-run chase.

Opening the batting with wicket-keeper batter Mohammad Rizwan, captain Azam scored 5 (6) before being a tad bit unlucky with respect to his dismissal tonight. Facing a wayward Pramod Madushan delivery, Azam looked to hit a ball down the leg-side towards the fine leg boundary but could only hit it straight to Dilshan Madushanka at short fine leg.

Zaman, who dragged the following delivery back to his stumps, registered a first-ball duck as Pakistan lost two consecutive wickets in the fourth over.

Shoaib Akhtar defines Asia Cup 2022 for Babar Azam and Fakhar Zaman

In what has been that kind of a tournament for both Azam and Zaman, Pakistan’s premier batters not being able to leave a mark especially in the final must have been quite disheartening for Pakistani fans.

Quick to point out Azam and Zaman’s repeated Asia Cup 2022 failures, former Pakistan speedster Shoaib Akhtar took to social media platform Twitter to find faults with Azam and Zaman.

Using words like “nightmare” and “disaster” for Azam and Zaman respectively, Akhtar tweeted right after their dismissals at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium tonight.

That ends a nightmare tournament for Babar as a batter. Same disaster for Fakhar.

— Shoaib Akhtar (@shoaib100mph) September 11, 2022

In six innings of this tournament, Azam has been able to contribute just 68 runs at an average and strike rate of 11.33 and 107.93 respectively.

Zaman, on the other hand, scored 96 runs in six innings at an average and strike rate of 16 and 103.22 respectively as the 32-year old player continues to struggle at No. 3 position in the shortest format.

About the author

Dixit Bhargav

Born and brought up in Pathankot, Dixit Bhargav is an engineering and sports management graduate who works as a Cricket Editor at The SportsRush. Having written more than 10,000 articles across more than five years at TSR, his first cricketing memory dates back to 2002 when former India captain Sourav Ganguly had waved his jersey at the historic Lord’s balcony. What followed for an 8-year-old was an instant adulation for both Ganguly and the sport. The optimist in him is waiting for the day when Punjab Kings will win their maiden Indian Premier League title. When not watching cricket, he is mostly found in a cinema hall watching a Punjabi movie.

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