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Kamran-Akmal
Pakistan wicket-keeper batsman Kamran Akmal was not happy with the way Pakistan played against England in the first ODI. The visitors lost the first ODI in Cardiff on Thursday to an inexperienced England team. ECB has handed debuts to as many as five players. They had to assemble a completely new team as seven members of its first-choice limited-overs squad tested positive for Covid-19. All the players of the first-choice team have to go into isolation as the board doesn't want to take any risks.
The Men in Green were outplayed in all three departments of the game as England took a 1-0 lead. Kamran Akmal stated that neither their cricket nor their selection process is correct. The wicketkeeper-batsman reckoned that it is hard to understand how an in-form team can play like this to a second-string England side.
I never felt that Sri Lanka had left England: Kamran Akmal
Asked to bat first, the visitors got off to the worst possible start. The Babar Azam-led side lost two wickets inside the first three balls of the match. Right arm pacer Saqib Mahmood ran through the Pakistan top-order. The 24-year-old was supported by Lewis Gregory, who too struck from the other end. Saqib Mahmood marked his return to England cricket team with a four-wicket haul. The visitors never recovered from the early jolts. Thus, the entire team was bundled out for 141 in 35.2 overs.
In response, Dawid Malan and Zak Crawley scored unbeaten half-centuries. The duo added 120 runs for the second wicket to dominate the Pakistan bowling attack. Pakistan skipper Babar Azam used around six bowlers, but none of them could make a strong impact. Disappointed with Pakistan's performance, Kamran Akmal stated that he never felt that Sri Lanka had left England. The Island nation had lost all the games of their limited-overs series against England.
The Men in Green will next face England in the 2nd ODI at Lord's, London, on July 10. The third and last game will be played in Birmingham on July 13.