Pakistan captain Babar Azam admitted his team was “not up to the mark” after suffering a second consecutive defeat against England at Lord’s, leaving the visitors struggling to find answers ahead of the final Test at Edgbaston.
Babar, who recently returned to the Pakistan Test captaincy, found it difficult to explain his side’s poor batting display as Pakistan failed to cross 200 in either innings. Saud Shakeel was the standout performer with a determined 97 in the second innings, while Babar endured a disappointing match, scoring just 8 and 6.
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Pakistan had made a promising start after winning the toss and choosing to bowl first under overcast conditions. They reduced England to 80 for four before the hosts recovered and reached 290.
“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,” Babar said during the post-match presentation.
Pakistan’s bowlers again impressed in the second innings, with Abbas taking five wickets. However, the team’s batting failed once more, preventing them from mounting a serious challenge.
Babar praised Shakeel for his determined effort, saying his innings demonstrated “immense class and dedication.”
Babar says he would change nothing after England slipped to 80/4
Babar’s response when asked about England’s early struggles raised eyebrows. Despite the hosts being reduced to 80 for four on the opening morning, the Pakistan captain said he would not have changed anything 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 said.
The response is likely to fuel criticism of Pakistan’s tactical approach, particularly after England managed to recover from a difficult position and take control of the Test.
Pakistan aim to bounce back at Edgbaston
With the series already slipping away, Babar acknowledged that Pakistan must improve in both batting and bowling before the final Test.
“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,” he said.
Babar added that Pakistan had shown glimpses of quality but needed to produce a more complete performance in the final match.
The defeat at Lord’s leaves Pakistan with plenty to address, particularly their batting, as they look to avoid another disappointing performance at Edgbaston.
(This story is published from a syndicated feed)
