Legendary fast bowler Wasim Akram has slammed Pakistan skipper Azhar Ali’s decision making in the first Test against England, saying he "missed a trick quite a few times" as the visitors coped a three-wicket defeat at Old Trafford.
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As per Akram, teenage pace sensation Naseem Shah was under-bowled by Azhar in the fourth innings of the match. Notably, Naseem bowled just 13 overs out of 82 in England’s second innings while defending a target of 277.
"It will hurt. It will hurt the Pakistan team and the cricket lovers in Pakistan. Winning and losing is part of cricket, but I think our captain missed a trick quite a few times in this game, as far as his leadership is concerned," Wasim was quoted as saying by Sky Sports.
Chasing 277, the hosts rode on Jos Buttler (75) and Chris Woakes’ (84 not out) 139-run stand for the sixth wicket to overhaul the target.
Akram felt when England were tottering at 117/5, Pakistan should have put pressure on Buttler, who was fighting for his Test spot and Woakes, who averaged just 5.22 with the bat in his previous six Tests.
"When Woakes came in, there were no bouncers, no short deliveries, they let him settle down and runs were coming easy. Once the partnership got going, nothing happened - the turn didn't happen, swing didn't happen - and Buttler and Woakes just took the game away," the former left-arm pacer said dissecting the errors of Pakistan captain.
Akram said flair and unpredictability were missing from the Pakistan side on the penultimate day of the Test match.
"Pakistan cricket is all about flair, unpredictability and attacking cricket. We're not county bowlers who are just going to come and bowl line and length all day long," the 54-year-old remarked.
"We've got a 17-year-old (Naseem), who bowls 90mph, a 20-year-old (Shaheen Afridi), who is around 88mph, and they should be bowling a lot more overs - 18-20 overs each innings, no matter the situation," he concluded.
Southampton will host the second Test of the series from August 13.
(With PTI inputs)
