PSL 2023: Should I Play At A Strike Rate Of 300 - Babar Azam Shuts Down Reporter Who Questions His Slow Innings Against Islamabad United

PSL 2023: Should I Play At A Strike Rate Of 300 – Babar Azam Shuts Down Reporter Who Questions His Slow Innings Against Islamabad United

by CA DeskFebruary 24, 2023

Last Update on: February 24th, 2023 at 03:22 pm

Despite Peshawar Zalmi captain Babar Azam’s impressive performance with the bat, scoring 75 runs off 58 balls at a strike rate of 129.31, which included a boundary count of seven fours and a six, his team suffered a six-wicket defeat to Islamabad United in the ongoing 2023 Pakistan Super League. Babar Azam was visibly upset with the loss and expressed his fiery mood after the match.

After Peshawar Zalmi’s openers Babar Azam and Mohammad Haris had shared a 76-run partnership, the team suffered a collapse in the middle order. They managed to post a total of 156/8 in their 20 overs.

In response, Islamabad United’s Rahmanullah Gurbaz scored a quickfire 62 off 31 balls to lead the team’s run chase, with Rassie van der Dussen adding 42 runs off 29 balls. Asif Ali also made a valuable contribution with his cameo of 29 runs off 13 balls. The Islamabad United batsmen’s efforts helped the team secure a six-wicket victory with 5.1 overs to spare.

You Cannot Think About Strike Rate When Wickets Are Falling: Babar Azam

During the post-match press conference, Babar Azam was asked about his low strike rate during the match. The Zalmi skipper looked amused before he responded sarcastically by questioning the journalist if he was supposed to play at a strike rate of 300.

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“You can make it 300 sir, I’m trying my best here, I’m trying. You are done with your question, right? I’ll give you an answer, my strike rate in the first ten overs was around 160, but when six wickets have gone down, you cannot think I need to take my strike rate to 200. You’ll try to build a partnership over there and that is what I was trying to do.”

Peshawar Zalmi will face Lahore Qalandars at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore this coming Sunday in their next fixture, where Babar Azam and his team will aim to bounce back and secure a victory.

Also Read: IND vs AUS: ‘I Can Bowl Around 140 Kph, Swing The Ball Both Ways And Contribute With Bat’ – Deepak Chahar Contrasts Himself With Hardik Pandya