Misbah Slams Pakistan's Batting Tactics After India Defeat

Former Pakistan captain Misbah-ul-Haq has launched a scathing critique of the team's management following their narrow six-run defeat to India in the T20 World Cup match on Sunday. Despite a strong bowling performance that restricted India to just 119 runs, Pakistan's batting lineup failed to capitalize, jeopardizing their chances of progressing in the tournament.

Misbah pointed out critical errors in Pakistan's approach during the run chase, particularly the underutilization of middle-order batter Iftikhar Ahmed. Ahmed, the lone specialist batter in the middle order, came in to bat at No. 7, despite his proven ability to anchor the innings.

"There is no confidence in the middle order," Misbah said on Hum Sport. "We don't use them properly. Iftikhar is there, and whoever else plays in the middle order, we don't send them in when their number comes up, even if they're scoring at a run-a-ball. They only get a chance once or twice a year, and even then, we put them in difficult situations."

Misbah questioned the rationale behind sending all-rounders ahead of Iftikhar on a challenging pitch in New York. He stressed that on such surfaces, where power hitting is less effective, situational assessment is crucial.

"Iftikhar is a batsman," Misbah said. "Imad [Wasim] went in before him, then Shadab [Khan] went in before him, and he was the last. You're sending him in at No. 7, and this has been going on throughout. On a pitch where you know power hitting is not needed, you need to assess the situation."

Misbah also criticized Pakistan's inability to learn from India's innings, where their power hitters struggled to score.

"You saw India's innings," Misbah said. "Once you have to score over a run-a-ball in the last 10 overs, it's very difficult. We should have kept Iftikhar back. He wouldn't have been able to hit at the end. If you're not going to send him in when you're scoring at 6 or 7 an over, what's the point of sending him in when you're scoring at 9 or 10? If you had to send him in, okay, fine, Shadab was scoring at a run-a-ball, he performed well in the last match, so send him up. Then Iftikhar comes in."

Misbah further questioned the decision to send Imad Wasim ahead of Iftikhar and criticized the team for playing fewer batters on a bowling-friendly pitch.

"You're sending in Imad, okay, that's fine, but this is not a pitch where you can hit at the end," Misbah said. "You sent in a left-hander, and he played a whole over of dot balls. Basically, you're building pressure and not giving your batsman any confidence. Then it's simple, you're playing with only three specialist batsmen on a bowling pitch. India played with six batsmen and two all-rounders. On a difficult pitch, who's going to be under pressure? The batting. We have fewer batting resources."

Misbah's critique underscores the need for better tactical decisions and confidence in the batting order to optimize performance in crucial matches.

Tags: #T20WorldCup, #Pakistan, #India, #MisbahulHaq, #BattingTactics