NEW DELHI: Ramiz Raja, the former chairman of the
Pakistan Cricket Board
(
PCB
), criticized the team's management after their 2-0 loss in the T20I series against England, which took place right before the T20 World Cup.
In the 4th T20I at Kennington Oval, England dominated Pakistan in every aspect of the game, successfully chasing down a target of 158 with more than four overs remaining.
Pakistan's performance was hindered by a lack of power in their middle order and the absence of magic from their pace bowlers while defending their target.
Ramiz expressed his worries about the experimentation within Pakistan's white-ball setup. He once again castigated the management for the repercussions that have resulted from their decision to experiment.
"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 openly expressed his views regarding the decision to introduce Saim Ayub as an opening batsman. This change in the batting lineup disrupted the highly successful partnership between
Babar Azam
and
Mohammad Rizwan
, which was implemented during Mohammad Hafeez's brief tenure as the director of cricket for Pakistan.
Since Ayub's inclusion at the top of the batting order, his performance has been underwhelming. Moreover, Pakistan's middle-order batsmen have also encountered difficulties in accumulating runs during crucial moments of the game, further compounding the team's batting woes.
"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.
In the recent T20I series against New Zealand, Ayub faced a tough time finding his form initially. However, he displayed promising improvement by delivering a brisk innings of 45 runs off 29 balls in the first match. Throughout the four matches against the Blackcaps, the 21-year-old managed to accumulate 52 runs at an average of 14.25, with his highest score being 32 in the series.
Before Ayub's inclusion, Babar and Rizwan had been the mainstays as openers for the Pakistani team, forming one of the most formidable opening partnerships in T20Is. Their partnership reached new heights during the last Men's T20I World Cup in 2022, where they notably shared a record-breaking 105-run stand. This was their third century partnership in the tournament, highlighting their exceptional chemistry and batting prowess.
Heading into the upcoming tournament, Pakistan finds itself placed in Group A, alongside notable competitors like arch-rival India, as well as Canada, USA, and Ireland. Their journey kicks off with a match against co-hosts USA at the Grand Prairie Stadium, Texas, scheduled for Thursday.
(With ANI inputs)
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