May 31 : Former PCB chairman Ramiz Raja slammed the management following Pakistan’s 2-0 T20I series defeat against England just before the T20 World Cup. At Kennington Oval, England outplayed Pakistan in all facets of the game by chasing down 158 with more than four overs to spare in the 4th T20I. Pakistan lacked firepower in their middle order and missed the magic from the pacers while defending their target. Ramiz has voiced his concerns regarding the experimentation in Pakistan’s white-ball setup. Once again he lambasted the management for the consequences that the decision to experiment has led to.
“They should stop experimenting with the team. Go into a game with a proper combination. You need to get out of the phobia of strike rate because you don’t have that kind of players. Aapne is team ka satyanash kar diya hai (You have completely made a cock-up of this team),” Ramiz said on his YouTube channel.
Ramiz has been quite vocal about the introduction of Saim Ayub in the opening slot. The record-breaking opening duo of Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan was broken during Mohammad Hafeez’s short-lived stint as Pakistan’s director of cricket.
Ayub’s time in the opening slot hasn’t fared well since he came in at the top of the order. Along with the opening slot, Pakistan’s middle order has struggled to muster up runs in critical conditions.
“You have ruined the team by breaking the opening pair (of Babar and Rizwan). The role of the middle order is not defined. You have put all-rounders in the middle and two wicket-keepers are playing. You are changing the fast bowlers. Your spinners don’t spin the ball and don’t have the confidence. You put Imad Wasim out of the playing XI. There is no sideways movement and you have completely dismantled the team just before the T20 World Cup,” he added.
Ayub struggled to put up runs against New Zealand in the T20I series last month but he showed signs of improvement with a quick-paced knock of 45(29) in the first T20I. In four matches against the Blackcaps, the 21-year-old scored 52 runs at an average of 14.25 with 32 as his highest score in the series.
Before Ayub, Babar and Rizwan were the designated openers for the Men in Green. They were one of the most prolific openers in the T20I set-up for Pakistan. The seasoned duo recorded a record-breaking 105-run stand which was their third-century partnership in the last edition of the Men’s T20I World Cup in 2022.
Pakistan are placed in Group A alongside arch-rival India, Canada, USA and Ireland. The Men in Green will begin their campaign against the co-hosts USA on Thursday at the Grand Prairie Stadium, Texas.
Pakistan squad for T20 World Cup: Babar Azam (c), Abrar Ahmed, Azam Khan, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Iftikhar Ahmed, Imad Wasim, Mohammad Abbas Afridi, Mohammad Amir, Mohammad Rizwan, Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub, Shadab Khan, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Usman Khan.
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