Australian legend Ian Healy slams batters after ‘reckless’ display in narrow ODI win over Pakistan

Cricket great Ian Healy has laid the boot into Australia’s batters after Pat Cummins was left to save the day against Pakistan, accusing the top order of letting egos override respect.

Former Test great Ian Healy has accused Australia’s openers of batting like “schoolyard bullies’’ and letting egos override respect for the conditions and Pakistan’s bowlers.

Healy watched Australia squeak home with two wickets to spare against Pakistan at the MCG in the summer’s opening 50 over match.

Pakistan made 203 and Australia (8-204), courtesy of yet another cool-headed knock from Pat Cummins, overcame a major wicket slide to reel in the total with a massive 16.3 overs to spare.

Healy believed their reckless approach almost cost them a game that could have been won in a canter.

“We’re gearing up to a Champions Trophy, there’s not many more chances selection trials … so we are looking to play this game properly,’’ Healy said on his SEN breakfast show in Brisbane.

“You know, they’re treating it like schoolyard (cricket). It just wasn’t good enough.

“Last night, we won just with 17 overs to spare. Gone is the ability to knock it around. It took (Josh) Inglis and (Steve) Smith to settle things down, and then they got themselves out with some shots which were false.

“Our shot selection was poor. And to me the juniors, Matt Short and Jake Fraser-McGurk were schoolyard bullies and that’s not good enough from a cricket system that invests a lot more than it looks.

“The disregard for the conditions, the bowlers … Mitch Starc said (in commentary) it (the wicket) was two-pace and a little bit uneven in bounce.

“So what do we do? Go out and think we can slog the Pakistani bowlers all over the place. So they didn’t learn anything from what the bowlers had told them.

“They didn’t regard the opposition enough – and that Pakistan attack is lively but was a little bit underdone at times.

“They were hard to suppress and the boy’s egos just weren’t able to be put away for even half an hour. Smith and Inglis did it and Pat Cummins had to do it.