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After suffering an embarrassing defeat against India, Pakistan locked horns with Australia at the MA Chinnaswamy Stadium in their ODI World Cup match in Bengaluru on October 20, Friday. Pakistan captain Babar Azam won the flip of the coin and elected to bowl first. But what left everyone surprised was his decision to drop vice-captain Shadab Khan from Pakistan's playing XI. Usama Mir, who has snared wickets in eight ODIs, was preferred ahead of Shadab Khan.
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Shadab unfortunately could not live up to the team's expectations securing only two wickets in the three games he has played so far in the ongoing ODI World Cup 2023. His performance stats, which include a less-than-impressive average of 65.50 and an economy rate of 6.55, explains the rationale behind his omission from the big game against Australia.
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Coming into the spotlight, Usama Mir is all set to showcase his talent on the World Cup stage for the very first time, representing Pakistan against the formidable Australian team. Despite being relatively new to the international arena, having made his debut against New Zealand earlier in the year, Mir has already made his mark. In the mere eight matches he's played for the national team, he boasts a promising record of 11 wickets with an average of 35.09.
During the pivotal toss moment of the Australia-Pakistan match, Babar Azam confirmed the team's decision, stating, "We would have had a bowl as well. The energy was awesome even though they had a big partnership. The intent from our guys was excellent. The way we played against Lanka, we should do the same. The same. Everyone good to go."
Meanwhile, the decision to drop Shadab Khan has triggered diverse reactions from fans and cricket enthusiasts on various social media platforms. Shadab Khan's absence from the team, given his past significant contributions, has raised several discussions and debates. However, with Usama Mir's inclusion, it will be intriguing to see how this strategic move pans out for the Pakistani team in this crucial World Cup clash against the Aussies.
This is how the Netizens reacted on social media:
Pakistan's Playing XI: Abdullah Shafique, Imam-ul-Haq, Babar Azam(c), Mohammad Rizwan(w), Saud Shakeel, Iftikhar Ahmed, Mohammad Nawaz, Usama Mir, Hasan Ali, Shaheen Afridi, Haris Rauf
Australia's Playing XI: David Warner, Mitchell Marsh, Steven Smith, Marnus Labuschagne, Josh Inglis(w), Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis, Pat Cummins(c), Mitchell Starc, Adam Zampa, Josh Hazlewood
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