LAHORE: Former Pakistan fast bowler Junaid Khan has criticized the attitude of the Pakistan team in the second ODI against Australia at the Gaddafi Stadium on Tuesday.
Junaid took to social media site ‘X’ where he suggested that Pakistan’s plans to prepare breakthroughs to challenge Australia had backfired in the end.
“Pakistan prepared a spin-friendly wicket to trouble Australia, but in the end, it was the Pakistani batsmen who were trapped by the spin,” Khan wrote.
Australia, meanwhile, capitalized on disciplined bowling and better adaptation to the conditions, underscoring the difference in performance between the two sides.
The visitors registered a 41-run victory to level the three-match series 1-1, courtesy a controlled bowling performance that thwarted Pakistan’s chase.
Batting first, Australia were restricted to 231-9 in 50 overs, with Pakistan captain Shaheen Shah Afridi leading the bowling with key advances.
Captain Josh Inglis and Cameron Green anchored the innings with crucial half-centuries, while Oliver Peak also made useful contributions.
Green top scored with 53 off 92 balls including a four and 2 sixes while Inglis scored 51 off 74 balls with 5 fours. Peake scored 31 runs off 32 balls with a four and 2 sixes.
For Pakistan, Afridi finished with figures of 3/36 from 8 overs, while Haris Rauf, Arafat Minhas and Abrar Ahmed took two wickets each.
In reply, the Men in Green were bowled out for 190 in 44 overs, with Shatab Khan scoring 71 off 104 balls with a four and 3 sixes.
Wicketkeeper-batsman Ghazi Ghori scored 37 runs off 48 balls with 5 fours while Arafat Minhas added 33 runs off 43 balls with 4 fours.
Australia’s Nathan Ellis was the best bowler with figures of 4/33 from nine overs, with Matthew Short claiming three wickets. Matthew Kuhnman, Adam Jamba and Tanveer Sangha took one wicket each.
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