New Delhi. They should stop experimenting with the team. They should enter the game with a proper combination. You need to get out of the fear of strike rate because you do not have that kind of players. You have destroyed this team. This was said by former Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) president Rameez Raja while criticizing the team management after Pakistan’s 2-0 defeat in the T20 series against England just before the T20 World Cup. Also read: CG MORNING NEWS: On the second day of Chintan Shivir, IIM experts will give tips to all ministers including CM Sai, yellow alert issued for heat wave in 21 districts, Mango Mania organized in Magneto Mall
England dominated Pakistan in every aspect of the game in the fourth T20 match at Kennington Oval and successfully chased down the target of 158 runs with more than four overs to spare. Pakistan’s performance reflected the lack of strength in their middle order and the magical ability of their fast bowlers while defending the target.
Rameez expressed his concerns about experimenting in Pakistan’s white-ball team. He once again criticized the management for the consequences resulting from their decision to experiment. Along with this, Rameez has openly expressed his views about the decision to introduce Sam Ayub as an opener. 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 Pakistan’s Director of Cricket.
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Ayub’s performance has been disappointing since coming to the top of the batting order. Apart from this, Pakistan’s middle-order batsmen have also faced difficulties in scoring runs at crucial moments of the game, which has further aggravated the team’s batting problems.
Rameez said, “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 kept all-rounders in the middle and two wicketkeepers are playing. You are changing the fast bowlers. Your spinners do not spin the ball and they do not have confidence. You dropped Imad Wasim from the playing XI. There is no sideways movement and you have completely destroyed the team just before the T20 World Cup.”
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In the recent T20 series against New Zealand, Ayub initially struggled to find his form. However, he showed promising improvement by scoring a quick 45 off 29 balls in the first match. In four matches against the Blackcaps, the 21-year-old scored 52 runs at an average of 14.25, with his highest score being 32.
Before Ayub’s inclusion, Babar and Rizwan were mainstays as openers for the Pakistani team, forming one of the most prolific 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 partnership. This was their third century partnership in the tournament, highlighting their exceptional chemistry and batting skills.
Talking about the T20I World Cup, Pakistan has been placed in Group A, which includes arch-rivals India as well as competitors like Canada, USA and Ireland. Their journey will begin on Thursday with a match against co-hosts USA at the Grand Prairie Stadium in Texas.