Rashid Latif: “I feel after such a solid start, the middle order should have contributed more runs”

Image courtesy of: ESPNcricinfo

Former Pakistan wicketkeeper-batsman Rashid Latif criticised the national team’s middle order for failing to score more runs during the World Cup match against England on Monday.

The top five batsmen – Imam-ul-Haq, Fakhar Zaman, Babar Azam, Mohammad Hafeez and captain Sarfraz Ahmed – all made major contributions as they scored 44, 36, 63, 84 and 55 respectively.

However, Latif feels that Pakistan were capable of scoring over 400 runs in the match had all-rounder Shoaib Malik and Asif Ali not been dismissed for eight and 14 runs respectively.

Pakistan ended up making 348/8 in the match and they went on to win by 14 runs, which snapped their 11-game losing streak in ODIs.

“I feel after such a solid start, the middle order should have contributed more runs,” Latif told The Nation. “Shoaib Malik and Asif Ali were back in the pavilion when it mattered most. If one of them was at the crease till the end, Pakistan were more than capable of posting 400 plus runs.”

Pakistan’s next World Cup match will be against Sri Lanka in Bristol on Friday.

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