Pakistan needs to win both of their remaining games to remain in contention for semis.
Recently, legendary Pakistani pacer Wasim Akram had criticized the players for their poor fitness and diet, after the Men in Green lost to Afghanistan in Chennai. He questioned their diet as well, as reports suggested players having rich carb diet as Nihari and Biryani.
“It was embarrassing today. They [Afghanistan] chased 280-290 with 8 wickets in hands which is huge. They nullified the pitch factor completely. And just look at the fitness levels of our players. We have been screaming here for the past three weeks that they haven’t been through fitness tests in the last two years. Now should I name them individually, their faces are getting broader. Lagta hai roz 8 kilo nihari khate hain (Seems like they have kilos of meats every day),” Akram had said on ASports TV.
Iftikhar Ahmed, a key member of the Pakistan Cricket Team, has made a statement in response to the team's criticism. In an unexpected turn, he questioned the importance of Biriyani consumption in relation to the team's success and failure.
During a recent conversation, Ahmed shared a fresh take on the criticism that frequently surrounds the Pakistan Cricket Team when they fail to meet expectations. He questioned why the team's consumption of Biriyani is brought up as a topic of contention, especially in times of defeat.
“Let me tell you something. If the Pakistan team wins, they don’t say that we eat Biriyani so why do they say it when the team loses a game, please answer me. Is Biriyani the reason we are losing matches?
There’s nothing like this, it is professional, and every cricketer sees and respects the position in which they are. If someone eats Biriyani and someone does something which hampers the reputation of the country, we are against them also,” Ahmed said.
Pakistan currently sit fifth on the table as their chances of qualifying for the semi-finals are not yet confirmed. They will face New Zealand in Bengaluru on Saturday in a day match and they need to win this match to stay alive in the tournament.