Pakistan captain Babar Azam received the anger of the spectators following his batting failure against Bangladesh in the 2023 ODI World Cup match on October 31 at Eden Gardens in Kolkata. He had two half-centuries in the previous games but did not play on Tuesday.
After winning the toss, Bangladesh batted first and were bowled out for 204 in 45.1 overs. Pakistan’s bowling attack was led by Shaheen Afridi and Mohammad Wasim Jr, who both took three wickets. Bangladesh’s leading scorer was Mahmudullah (56) in their starting lineup.
Fakhar Zaman (81) and Abdullah Shafique (68) then put up a 128-run opening combination, laying the groundwork for their side. Shafique left the game in the 22nd over in an attempt to complete it swiftly. At this point, Babar Azam entered the crease with his side in control, needing less than 80 runs to win.
He labored for a time, taking 16 balls to achieve his 9 runs before succumbing to death in the 26th over. With a miscued lofted hit, he delivered a routine catch to a long-on fielder. Pakistan won the match by 7 wickets after reaching 205/3 in 32.3 overs.
Babar Azam’s failure against Bangladesh in a must-win game drew the ire of supporters, who cruelly mocked him on social media sites by uploading amusing memes.
Here are some memes about his inning:
Babar Azam Keeps His Semi-final Aspirations Alive After Pakistan’s Convincing Win against Bangladesh
Babar Azam praised his colleagues for executing their tasks properly and helping to a clinical win against Bangladesh at the post-match presentation. He singled out opener Fakhar Zaman for playing a match-winning knock in the chase. According to Babar Azam:
“I think credit goes to the boys for our performance today. Yes, we know what Fakhar can do. It’s always a different ball game of Fakhar bats for 20 overs. Yes, we are still hopeful about our semi-final chances. We will try to win the last two matches and see where we stand.”
Babar Azam
He added on their bowling performance:
“Yes, we started well. The way Shaheen started and after that when they built a partnership, I had to call my main bowlers and they delivered. They stuck to good lengths and we managed to get some wickets in the middle overs.
Babar Azam
“Thanks to the Kolkata crowd for supporting me and my team.”
Pakistan will play New Zealand in Bengaluru on November 4th.