T20 World Cup Final | Unfair decision to declare David Warner Man of the Tournament, says Shoaib Akhtar

T20 World Cup Final | Unfair decision to declare David Warner Man of the Tournament, says Shoaib Akhtar

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David Warner was adjudged Man of the Tournament for T20 World Cup 2021

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Former Pakistan pacer Shoaib Akhtar has expressed his disappointment after Australia's David Warner was adjudged Man of the Tournament for his 289 runs at the ICC T20 World Cup 2021 in the UAE and Oman. Akhtar has reckoned that Pakistan captain Babar Azaz was the more deserving candidate.

The Pakistan captain led from the front and scored 303 runs from six matches at an average of 60.60. He scored as many as 4 fifties and became the only captain to achieve the feat in the single edition of a ICC T20 World Cup event. He scored handy 39 runs in the semi-final against Australia but his team loss the match by 5 wickets to crash out of the tournament. 

David Warner, on the other hand, was written off by many due to his age and lack of form ahead of the ICC showpiece event. The 35-year-old southpaw was dropped after two bad outings in the second leg of the IPL 2021 in the UAE. Earlier, during the first-half of the cash rich league, the soutpaw was sacked from captaincy of the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) - the same team he led to their first-ever title triumph in 2016. In fact, the Australian media had also discarded the the experienced campaigner. 

However, David Warner turned back the clock and aggregated 289 runs at an average of 48.16  to finish as the second highest run-getter at the T20 World Cup 2021. His knocks of 89*, 49 and and 53 in the last three games for Australia for crucial in the team's maiden title glory in the shortest format of the game. 

However, former Pakistan pacer Shoaib Akhtar has expressed his disappointemnt on juries decision to give Warner the Man of the Tournament award. 

"Was really looking forward to see @babarazam258 becoming Man of the Tournament. Unfair decision for sure."

After New Zealand posted 172/4 courtesy Kane Williamson's 85, Australia, in the final at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium, chased down the target with utmost ease with 7 balls to spare. Apart from Warner, Mitchell Marsh and Glenn Maxwell contributed with 77* and 28* respectively.

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