News Mania Desk/ Agnibeena Ghosh/9th June 2024
Pakistan’s devastating six-run defeat to India in the ongoing T20 World Cup has ignited a storm of criticism within the country’s cricket community. Despite high hopes and expectations, Babar Azam and his team faltered in their pursuit of a modest target of 120 runs, falling short against their arch-rivals at Nassau County Stadium in New York on Sunday. The loss marks Pakistan’s second consecutive defeat in the tournament, leaving them with zero points and facing the looming threat of early elimination from the group stage.
In the aftermath of the defeat, players and captain Babar Azam have found themselves at the receiving end of scathing criticism from former cricketers. Expressing his frustration over the team’s performance, former captain Wasim Akram has called for a comprehensive overhaul of the Pakistan cricket team.
During a candid interview on Star Sports, Akram launched a scathing attack on players such as Mohammad Rizwan, Iftikhar Ahmed, and Fakhar Zaman, accusing them of lacking game awareness and strategic acumen.
“They have been playing cricket for 10 years, and I can’t teach them. Rizwan has no game awareness. He should have known that Bumrah was given the ball to take wickets and that the wise thing would have been to play his deliveries cautiously. But Rizwan went for a big shot and lost his wicket,” Akram remarked.
“Iftikhar Ahmed knows one shot on the leg side. He has been a part of the team for years but doesn’t know how to bat,” he added.
Without explicitly naming individuals, Akram called for the removal of players who exhibit a lack of cohesion and teamwork within the squad.
“I can’t go and tell about the game awareness to Fakhar Zaman. Pakistani players think that if they don’t perform well, the coaches will be sacked, and nothing will happen to them. It is time to keep the coaches and change the entire team,” Akram asserted.
“There are players who don’t want to talk to each other. This is international cricket, and you play for your country. Make these players sit at home,” he concluded.
Meanwhile, Naseem Shah’s emotional breakdown following the defeat has also captured attention. Despite a valiant effort in the final moments of the match, Naseem was unable to secure victory for his team, leading to tears of disappointment. Despite gestures of consolation from teammates and opponents alike, the anguish of defeat was palpable as Naseem grappled with the outcome of the closely contested match.
