Harsha Bhogle: “You normally look at Pakistan and say wow what a good bowling side, but the spinners are not delivering for them in the middle overs”
Image taken by: Bimal Mirwani
Well-known cricket commentator Harsha Bhogle has called out Pakistan spinners Shadab Khan, Mohammad Nawaz and Usama Mir for failing to provide wickets in the middle overs.
Shadab, Nawaz and Mir were not in the best of form coming into the ongoing 2023 ICC Cricket World Cup, but this issue has persisted in the tournament, which has really hurt Pakistan.
Shadab took two wickets in six matches at an average of 118.50 and an economy rate of 6.23, while Nawaz claimed two wickets in five games, but at an average of 111.50 and an economy rate of 5.89.
As for Mir, he picked up four wickets in four matches at an average of 62 and an economy rate of 7.08.
“You normally look at Pakistan and say wow what a good bowling side, but the spinners are not delivering for them in the middle overs,” Bhogle told Cricbuzz as quoted by Cricket Pakistan.
Pakistan won their first two World Cup games against the Netherlands and Sri Lanka before suffering defeats at the hands of India, Australia, Afghanistan and South Africa.
Despite fighting back to take down Bangladesh and New Zealand, it was not enough to earn them a spot in the semi-finals.
The men in green concluded their campaign on a low as England clobbered them by 93 runs.
Pakistan will now play a three-match Test series against Australia, but Shadab, Nawaz and Mir were not included in the 18-man squad announced for the tour.
The first Test between Pakistan and Australia will get underway on December 14 in Perth.
Pakistan Squad for Australia Test Series: Shan Masood (captain), Aamer Jamal, Abdullah Shafique, Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Faheem Ashraf, Hasan Ali, Imam-ul-Haq, Khurram Shahzad, Mir Hamza, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Noman Ali, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha, Sarfaraz Ahmed (wk), Saud Shakeel and Shaheen Shah Afridi
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