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ODI world cup 2023 Cricket

'Babar ko sirf apni ranking aur biriyani ki chinta he' - Fans react as Herschelle Gibbs takes sly dig at Babar Azam over his slow knock in Pakistan's 402-run chase

At the time rain stopped the play at Chinnaswammy, Pakistan had reached a score of 160/1 in 21.3 overs. They were 10 runs ahead of the required DLS score.

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Mathew K
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Babar Azam & Herschelle Gibbs (Source: Twitter)

Babar Azam & Herschelle Gibbs (Source: Twitter)

Former South Africa cricketer Herschelle Gibbs took a sly dig at Pakistan captain Babar Azam during their match against New Zealand in the 2023 ODI World Cup. New Zealand have set a mammoth target of 402 after being asked to bat first at the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on Saturday, November 4. Pakistan were in the driver's seat when play was halted by rain in 21.3 overs, but Gibbs was unimpressed by Babar's intent. 

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The Men in Green suffered an early setback when in-form opener Abdullah Shafique was dismissed cheaply in the second over. However, Fakhar Zaman's blazing innings helped Pakistan to stay in the hunt. While Zaman came out all guns blazing at one end, Babar was playing sensibly as an anchor.

Had it been a first innings or a moderate score chase, Babar's approach would not have drawn criticism. Chasing a massive target, the captain should have played a bit more aggressively when his partner was striking above 150. This is what exactly made Gibbs raise his eyebrow and make a cheeky remark about Babar's slow innings. 

The former Proteas opener took to his X (formerly known as Twitter) handle to post a one-liner troll. "Can someone tell babar they chasing 400...," he wrote. 

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Pakistan are 10 runs ahead of the required DLS score

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At the time rain stopped the play at Chinnaswammy, Pakistan has reached a score of 160/1 in 21.3 overs. Babar is batting with 47 off 51 balls, while Zaman is steady after notching up his 11th ODI century. The southpaw registered a 63-ball ton to register the fastest century by a Pakistani batter in the ODI World Cup. His quick-fire knock has put Pakistan 10 runs ahead of the required DLS (Duckworth-Lewis-Stern) score.

Earlier, New Zealand posted 401-6 on the back of a stunning partnership between Rachin Ravindra and captain Kane Williamson. The duo put on 180 runs for the second wicket with Ravindra scoring his third century of the tournament and Williamson fell short of just 5 runs for his well-deserved hundred. Glenn Phillips' firing in the end (41 off 25) was also crucial. 

Here's how fans reacted to Herschelle Gibbs' taking dig at Babar Azam: 

New Zealand Pakistan featured Babar Azam ODI World Cup 2023