Basit Ali. (Photo by Rana Sajid Hussain/Pacific Press/LightRocket via Getty Images)
In the fourth and final Test of the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy, Australia are comfortably in the driver’s seat, scoring 480 runs in the first innings of the match. However, former Pakistan cricketer Basit Ali isn’t impressed with that and slammed the visiting team for their defensive approach on both days of the match.
The 52-year-old in an explosive video also stated that Australia are currently playing for a draw as their plan is to remove Pat Cummins from the captaincy and reinstate Steve Smith, who was brilliant in the third Test in Indore. The former cricketer also took a dig at coach Andrew McDonald, calling him an ordinary player and thus having an 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.
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,” Basit Ali said as quoted by Hindustan Times.
Usman Khawaja played like a batsman from Bangladesh: Ali
Even though Usman Khawaja was brilliant with the bat, scoring 180 runs in the first innings, Basit Ali also criticised him for his approach. He stated that Khawaja’s innings was very selfish and it was only Cameron Green (114 off 170 deliveries) who looked good in the match.
“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,” Ali further added.