Former cricketer Shoaib Akhtar has slammed the Pakistani team in the aftermath of their dismal performance in the ODI series against West Indies. 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 have expressive and explosive talent, and we played like that. We were never dependent on one individual, everyone chipped in. No one used to look for escape routes. The environment has changed, and in the last 10-15 years, everyone has started playing for themselves. Everyone is playing for their averages. The intent should be to win matches for your country,” shared Akhtar while speaking on the Game On Hai show.
“We need to change the intent, the mindset, and create that atmosphere. You need to play according to modern cricket. How hard is that to understand? Halka sa seam hota hai toh museebat pad jaati hai (The ball moves a bit and they seem that they are in trouble). Rawalpindi pitch leke nahi ghoom sakte (You can’t carry Rawalpindi pitches everywhere), commented the 50-year-old.
In the last ODI of the three-match series against the Men in Maroon, Pakistan’s lackluster 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.
