World Cup 2023: Babar Azam furious at Mohammad Nawaz for costly error in loss to South Africa

Pakistan captain Babar Azam was not very happy with Mohammad Nawaz when he conceded a crucial boundary to South Africa lower-order batter Keshav Maharaj during their 2023 World Cup match in Chennai on Friday. It was a nail-biting contest at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai where South Africa managed to secure a one-wicket victory by successfully chasing a target of 271. Batting first, Pakistan were restricted to 270 in 46.4 overs. Babar Azam and Saud Shakeel both brought up half-centuries, while Shadab Khan chipped in with a valuable 42 runs.

In reply, South Africa were well on their way with Aiden Markram playing a pivotal role with a strong 91-run innings. Other South African batters made promising starts, but could not convert them into something substantial. South Africa were struggling at 260/9 in 45.3 overs and two tailenders at the crease, Pakistan were slight favourites at that stage when Babar Azam turned to left-arm orthodox spinner Mohammad Nawaz to bowl the 48th over, with South Africa requiring just five runs for victory. However, Mohammad Nawaz couldn’t deliver as expected. He bowled a length ball sliding down the leg side and Keshav Maharaj waited for the ball and pulled it behind square leg to get the boundary and win the match for this side. Babar Azam’s disappointment with Nawaz’s performance was evident, and he addressed it after the match. During the post-match presentation, he said that all the players are hurt since they could not seal the deal. “We were very close but couldn’t finish it. Everyone in the camp is disappointed. We fought back really well but in batting, we were 10-15 runs short. This is part of the game, I think, if they give out, it would have been favour for us,” he said. Pakistan will now travel to Eden Gardens, Kolkata where they will now take on Bangladesh on 31 October.