Pakistan slumped to their fourth successive defeat under the leadership of Babar Azam when they faced South Africa in the ICC Cricket World Cup in Chennai a couple of days back.
After batting first, Pakistan posted a total of 270 on the board. South Africa laboured their way to the total but their brisk scoring rate ensured that they had enough balls in the death overs to get to the target.
Their tail-enders put up a valiant fight against the Pakistani pace battery and survived their onslaught which forced skipper Babar Azam to turn to spinner Mohammad Nawaz to bowl the 48th over.
Keshav Maharaj hit him for a boundary and guided the Proteas over the line which almost crushed Pakistan's hopes of a top-four finish.
Aamir Sohail, a former Pakistan captain, strongly questioned Nawaz's place in the Pakistan team. He cited Nawaz's poor form with both bat and ball and opined that he is not even eligible to play club cricket, let alone representing Pakistan at the international level.
What did Aamir Sohail say?
"Whenever there was a debate, whether Nawaz should be given an opportunity, I was not convinced," he said.
"There are two instances, before this match. While he was batting, there were many balls left and yet he got out by playing a rash shot. Then he repeated the same mistakes against Australia and South Africa. Today he got out in the 46th over. 24 balls were still left and even if he had played 15 deliveries, then it would have made a lot of difference.
"When you look at his bowling, he is not even a club-level cricketer. And you have selected him for the Pakistan national team!" he added.
Babar Azam was also seen fuming at Mohammad Nawaz after the spinner conceded a boundary (winning runs).
Nawaz is considered one of the confidantes of Babar Azam in the Pakistan camp but he did not hold back after the game, almost screaming at the left-arm bowler for giving away an easy boundary.
MORE: When is Pakistan's next match at the ODI World Cup?
What are Pakistan’s remaining ICC World Cup 2023 matches?
October 31 - vs Bangladesh in Kolkata
November 4 - vs New Zealand in Bengaluru
November 11 - vs England in Kolkata
Who will win the 2023 World Cup?
India, Australia and South Africa are among the top five favourites for the 2023 World Cup title. The odds from Dafabet are as follows:
| Team | Odds (Dafabet) |
|---|---|
| India | 2.15 |
| Australia | 5.00 |
| South Africa | 4.75 |
| New Zealand | 7.00 |
| Pakistan | 29.00 |
Think you know who will win the 2023 Cricket World Cup? Place your bets here with Dafabet!
