New Delhi, August 9: Former Australia cricketer Dean Jones urged Pakistan fans to prioritise winning matches rather than just being happy with Test vice-captain Babar Azam scoring runs for the team. Azam was among runs in the first innings of the recently-concluded Manchester Test against England and fans and critics alike showered praise on him for his gritty display.

But Pakistan ended up to be on the losing side following Chris Woakes and Jos Buttler's heroics in the fourth innings and the visitors went 0-1 down in the three-match series. Virat Kohli vs Babar Azam: Pakistan Star’s Brilliant Half-Century vs England Ignites ‘Best Batsman’ Debate, Here’s How Netizens Reacted.

Dean Jones' Tweet

Babar scored a magnificent 69 in the first essay and that innings prompted former England captain Nasser Hussain to compare him with India skipper Virat Kohli. He was dismissed for just 5 in the second innings as the visitors folded for 169.

Jones, however, is of the opinion that Pakistan followers should focus more on team winning matches rather that being content with just Azam scoring runs for them. His Twitter post read: "Message for Pakistan fans.. yes it's always great when Babar Azam scores runs.. but he will tell you.. winning is priority!!" Meanwhile, former captain Inzamam-ul-Haq believes that Pakistan can still go on to win the three-Test series despite the team falling short in the opener.

"I think Pakistan team is better than England and we should have won the first Test. It's very disappointing but I believe Pakistan can still win the series," Inzamam said in a video uploaded on his YouTube channel 'The Match Winner'.

The final two matches of the series will be played at single venue i.e Ageas Bowl in Southampton. The second Test is scheduled to start from August 13 while the third Test will be played from August 21.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Aug 09, 2020 09:14 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).