Following their lacklustre performances in the ODI series against the West Indies, former cricket player Shoaib Akhtar has criticised the Pakistani team. The Men in Green recently suffered their first ODI series defeat to the West Indies since 1991, losing by a massive 202-run margin after being dismissed for just 92 in the series-deciding match.
Shoaib Akhtar charged that the batting lineup was playing to secure their own place in the team rather than to win. The former cricket player who is now a broadcaster underlined the necessity of altering the strategy and general ethos of the dressing room. The former bowler drew attention to the Pakistani hitters’ apparent extreme problems with the ball seaming about.
“We used to play like way, with expressive and powerful talent. Everyone helped out, so we were never reliant on any one person. In the past, no one sought out escape routes. Everyone has started playing for themselves in the last ten to fifteen years, and the atmosphere has changed. The average is what everyone is aiming for. Speaking on the Game On Hai show, Shoaib Akhtar stated, “The goal should be to win matches for your country.”
“We must alter the goal, the attitude, and the environment. You must play cricket in the present era. How difficult is it to comprehend that? Halka sa seam hota hai toh museebat pad jaati hai (they appear to be in trouble when the ball moves a little).
“You can’t carry Rawalpindi pitches everywhere,” Shoaib Akhtar said, refuting the notion that Rawalpindi pitches are portable.
In the last ODI of the three-match series against the Men in Maroon, Pakistan’s lacklustre performance let their fans down. Mohammad Nawaz and Salman Agha were the only two players to score more than 20 runs.
In addition, the 202-run thrashing was Pakistan’s fourth-heaviest loss in ODI cricket history. Jayden Seales’s blazing career-best innings (6/18 in 7.2 overs) was too much for the visitors, who were led by Mohammad Rizwan.
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