Former Pakistan cricket star Basit Ali has drawn parallels between the expectations placed on Babar Azam by Pakistani fans and the demands Indian supporters have for Virat Kohli. Ali believes that despite Babar’s promising performance in the first ODI against Australia, where he scored 37 runs, Pakistani fans will always expect more from their star batsman.
“Babar Azam looked in good form today. His way of playing was top-class. Unfortunately, he played Adam Zampa off the back foot on a ball that he should have played on the front foot. His foot movement and how hungry he was for runs were good signs,” Ali said in a YouTube analysis.
However, Ali emphasized that Pakistani fans will not be satisfied with a mere 37-run knock from Babar. “Our people won’t be happy with 37 runs, they want Babar to score 137. Similarly, the Indian fans aren’t satisfied with Virat Kohli’s 70-run knock, they want 170 from him. So, this is the case with a big player that there’s no value if he scores a 50,” Ali explained.
Meanwhile, Pakistan speedster Haris Rauf acknowledged that his team made mistakes in their opening ODI against Australia at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. Despite a strong start from Australia, Pakistan fought back with wickets from Rauf and Shaheen Afridi. However, Australia ultimately secured a narrow 2-wicket victory.
“We were all trying our best, whether in the field or with the ball. We had a plan to bowl short from my end. We had success; we took a few wickets this way,” Rauf said.
Pakistan’s loss marks Australia’s 27th victory in 28 completed matches at home across all formats. The second ODI of the three-match series will be played on Thursday, January 12, at the Sydney Cricket Ground.
