'Stop that nonsense bro, please' - Ian Bishop slams X user over fake Babar Azam claim

Pakistan and New Zealand are currently facing off in the 35th match of the ongoing ODI World Cup 2023 at the M.Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru. Pakistan won the toss and elected to bowl first.

New Zealand notched up a massive 401 thanks to Rachin Ravindra's 108 and Kane Williamson's 95 before some handy contributions in the lower order from Daryll Mitchell, Mark Chapman, Glenn Phillips and Mitchell Santner.

In their chase, Pakistan lost Abdullah Shafique early, however, Fakhar Zaman showcased an impressive display of batting, scoring a century in just 63 balls. Meanwhile, captain Babar Azam faced criticism for his slow batting performance once again.

Amidst all that, an X user claimed that Ian Bishop questioned Babar's appraoch on air, asking whether he prioritized himself and his position in the ICC rankings over the team's needs.

"Is Babar playing for his No.1 ranking? They are chasing 400 runs. One batsman cannot make all the runs. He can at least play with a 100 SR. For once, he should put his country first before himself. This is embarrassing for a captain. Is Fakhar playing on a different pitch?" the X user claimed Bishop as saying.

However, Bishop was quick to respond, denying that he made no such statement while urging people to stop spreading false news. 

Rachin Ravindra's brilliance help Kiwis to cross 400 runs mark:

Coming to the match, New Zealand had a strong start, with Ravindra scoring a brilliant century, smashing 108 runs off just 94 balls, including 15 fours and one six. Captain Williamson also made a noteworthy comeback after a prolonged injury, contributing 95 runs off 79 balls, featuring ten fours and two sixes.

Towards the end of their innings, Mark Chapman and Glenn Phillips played crucial roles, playing quickfire cameos to help their team reach a big total of 401 runs. Chapman scored 39 runs off 25 balls with seven fours, while Phillips added 41 runs off 27 balls with four fours and two sixes. The rest of the New Zealand batters, including Mitchell Santner and Daryl Mitchell also made valuable contributions to help Kiwis cross the 400 runs mark.