INTERNATIONAL CRICKET

Basit Ali extremely unhappy with Australia’s defensive approach

Brett lee umran Malik

Australia is very comfortable at the moment after having scored 480 runs in the first innings of the 4th Test.

Also, they are looking to play for a draw to the series so that they can reinstate stand-in skipper, Steve Smith as their new leader.

However, former Pakistani player Basit Ali has heavily slammed the visitors and isn’t happy with their defensive stance at all.

Additionally, he has also said that this is all a ploy to remove Pat Cummins and establish Steve Smith as captain.

Furthermore, he has also stated that their head coach, Andrew McDonald himself was an ordinary player who is now using his ordinary mindset.

The way Australia played it felt like the team from 1970-80. They won the toss and scored 255 on Day 1 and 225 on Day 2. It felt like Australia are leading 2-1 in the series but it is India, who are leading 2-1. Just because they have reached the finals of World Test Championship, so they have maintained a defensive approach.

Adding further, he says,

The mindset with which Steve Smith and their coach Andrew McDonald employed was extremely sad. Their coach was an ordinary player and his thinking too is very ordinary. I also want to make one more point that this is a plot to remove Pat Cummins from the captaincy and reinstate Smith as their new leader. Smith led Australia to a win in the third Test and they now want to play a draw, so Smith can once again be at the helm with his selected group of players.

Ali also slams Usman Khawaja for his mediocre technique and approach

On the other hand, Basit Ali has also criticized opener, Usman Khawaja who was quite brilliant with the bat on the first two days.

Scoring 180 runs overall, he was probably the best batsman out there for Australia. However, Ali states that Khawaja’s innings was purely selfish.

Meanwhile, he has praised Cameron Green and has called him a proper Australian batter. Green scored 114 from 170 deliveries.

Says Ali,

Usman Khawaja played like a batsman from Bangladesh. His approach was very timid, and I feel it was a selfish innings. You score 180 runs after playing 422 deliveries in this pitch. Only Green looked like a batter from Australia.

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