After Sri Lanka scored 344 runs, many may have lost hope for Pakistan’s victory. However, the situation became even more challenging for Pakistan after losing Imam-ul-Haq and Babar Azam for just 37 runs. But from that point, Abdulah Shafiq and Mohammad Rizwan took charge of the situation.
Until the end, they put on a partnership of 213 runs, with Shafiq scoring 113 runs off 103 balls. While Shafiq quickly returned after reaching his century, Rizwan remained unyielding. He even endured some intense physical strain but didn’t give in.
Saud Shakeel and Iftekhar Ahmed joined hands with Rizwan to guide the team to victory at the port of the win. After the match, former Pakistan pace legend Shoaib Akhtar praised both Rizwan and Shafiq. He also mentioned that Shafiq seemed to carry shades of Babar Azam’s style of play.
Before praising Shafiq and Rizwan, Shoaib spoke about Babar Azam. Despite his initial struggles in the match, Shoaib expressed his confidence that Babar Azam would return to form and play well. He said, “Pakistan won this match quite comfortably. It was a fantastic start. Babar Azam, too, can perform better. But like Babar Azam, we have found another player whom we can rely on, Abdullah Shafiq. Well done, Abdullah! Before I talk about Shafiq, I want to say about Babar. Babar is undoubtedly an exceptional player. He should lead the team to victory in such big matches. I am sure he will do it in the coming days.”
He then went on to praise Abdullah Shafiq, saying, “Pakistan scored 345 runs and that was a great effort. The wickets were quite good too. But if Abdullah Shafiq had stayed, Pakistan could have won the match even more comfortably. He is an exceptional superstar. He plays with great self-confidence and sets an example for his team. I’m very impressed with his play. He has delivered even without giving him much opportunity. He made a significant contribution to Pakistan’s World Cup win. You can’t ask for more than that.”
Shoaib also had words for Rizwan, acknowledging his remarkable innings but also expressing concern about his recurring muscle issues. He said, “Rizwan keeps falling on the field repeatedly, and he often suffers from cramps. But he has given a lot of congratulations. He has scored 50 runs for Pakistan in the last 50 runs. He is running again. He should take care of himself because he often suffers from cramps.”
After discussing keeping wickets for a long time and the pressure of batting, Shoaib mentioned, “I know there’s a lot of pressure on him. Keeping for 50 overs and then batting is not easy, and it puts a lot of strain on the body. But even KL Rahul has kept for 50 overs and then almost chased. And that was in the heat of Chennai. Nevertheless, Shoaib congratulated Rizwan, saying, ‘He has delivered Pakistan to victory with his self-efforts. He has done it himself, and he has made 50 runs for Pakistan. Now he will run again. He must take care of himself because he often suffers from cramps.’
Shoaib emphasized the support for the bowlers, who may be under pressure to perform in the upcoming matches. He stated, “I will support the bowlers. They haven’t become 10-over bowlers overnight. But how will it happen? They’ve only played 12 one-day internationals in the last year. Now they have to bowl 10 overs. I hope they will quickly adapt. However, I hope none of them become unfit. The bowling unit will surely start performing in the next 3-4 matches. There’s no reason to worry about this. I can understand the frustration, but Shaheen and Haris shouldn’t be discouraged. They will come back well.”
At this time, Shoaib expressed gratitude to the fans and viewers in Hyderabad and India, thanking them for their support. He appreciated the enthusiasm and love of the fans in Hyderabad and praised the city as extraordinary. He extended his gratitude to India as well for supporting Pakistan. He also expressed hope that Pakistan would perform well in their upcoming match against India, saying, “I am looking forward to Pakistan’s match against India. I want Pakistan to do well in this match. They should come and win it.
