Former PCB chairman Ramiz Raja criticized the management after Pakistan’s 2-0 defeat in the T20I series against England just before the T20 World Cup. At Kennington Oval, England defeated Pakistan in every facet of the game, chasing 158 with over four overs remaining in the 4th T20I. Pakistan lacked firepower in their middle order and lost the magic of pacers while defending their target. Ramiz expressed his concerns regarding Pakistan’s white-ball experimentation. Once again he criticized the administration for the consequences that the decision to experiment led to.
“They should stop experimenting with the team. Enter a game with a proper combination. You need to get out of the strike rate phobia because you don’t have that kind of player. Aapne is the team ka satyanash kar diya hai (You guys completely ruined this team),” Ramiz said on his YouTube channel.
Ramiz has been very vocal about the introduction of Saim Ayub in the opening. The record opening pairing of Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan was broken during Mohammad Hafeez’s short stint as Pakistan’s director of cricket.
Ayub’s time in the opening slot has not gone well since he rose to the top of the order. Along with the opening slot, Pakistan’s middle order has struggled to muster 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 wicketkeepers are playing. You are changing the fast bowlers. Your spinners are not they spin the ball and have no confidence. You took Imad Wasim out of the playing team. There is no lateral movement and you completely dismantled the team just before the T20 World Cup,” he added. .
Ayub struggled to score runs against New Zealand in the T20I series last month but showed signs of improvement with a quick 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, 32 being his highest score in the series.
Before Ayub, Babar and Rizwan were the designated starters for the Men in Green. They were one of the most prolific openers in the T20I set-up for Pakistan. The experienced duo posted a record 105 runs, 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-rivals India, Canada, USA and Ireland. The Men in Green will begin their campaign against co-hosts USA on Thursday at Grand Prairie Stadium in Texas.
Pakistan T20 World Cup squad: 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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