England clinched the seven-match T20I series 4-3 against Pakistan at the Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore after whipping the hosts by 67-runs in a game where Pakistan were never in the hunt to chase down a target of 210 after losing batting mainstays Babar and Mohammad Rizwan early on.
The defeat in the decider came after another one-sided game in the sixth T20 where England walloped Pakistan in reaching a target of 170 with 5.3 overs to spare.
Pakistan’s batting template hinges on openers Babar and Rizwan getting runs. In the last match defeat, it was pretty evident that the middle-order batters. lack the punch to play game-changing innings.
In a video posted on the Pakistan Cricket Board’s social media accounts, chairman Ramiz Raja defended Pakistan’s performance and said that the side had its own unique playing style which sees Babar and Rizwan provide a steady start albeit they don’t score as briskly as openers from other teams do.
“The whole series we played really well,” said Moeen, who led the team in place of Jos Buttler, who travelled to Pakistan but did not feature in any match as he recovers from injury.
“But we could’ve won 6-1 instead of 4-3,” added the 35-year-old, referring to England’s narrow losses in low-scoring fourth and fifth games of the series.
” Moeen also had a word of praise for Pakistan’s Babar and Rizwan. “They’ve been consistent performers and while they face criticism due to their strike-rate, their contributions are vital in Pakistan’s victories,” he said.
The end of the series concluded England’s first tour of Pakistan since 2005 with their Test team set to tour the country in winter and Moeen said it was a “privilege to come here”.
