Cricketer-turned-commentator Ramiz Raja called Babar Azam-led side's 3-0 defeat a painful day in Pakistan cricket. They lost the third consecutive ODI against England on Tuesday (July 13) in the three-match series.
Batting first, Pakistan scored 331/9 in 50 overs which was their best performance in the series. Skipper Babar scored 158 runs while Mohammad Rizwan added 74 runs.
However, the score wasn't enough to restrict England and register their first win on the tour. The hosts chased down the target with three wickets in hand and 2 overs left in the match. James Vince scored his maiden ton and helped England win the match despite half of the side down on 165 runs.
Raja, in his YouTube video, criticized the Pakistan cricket team for the whitewash against a second-string England team. “An extremely painful and tough day for Pakistan cricket and its fans. The team has been whitewashed by a B-Grade England team. I’m not surprised by the results because it was on the cards. This team got mentally disintegrated. They couldn’t get over the shock of their defeat in the first ODI because the headlines were all over that a B team, which was assembled within two days, has beaten Pakistan.
“They went under pressure after the loss and hence, committed mistakes. It has become a trend for this Pakistan team. It doesn’t learn from mistakes. Instead, they double it under pressure,” he said.
The 58-year-old, who played 57 Test matches for Pakistan, believes a change in Pakistan's cricketing system is the need of the hour. He wants Babar to take responsibility and bring a change.
“Babar Azam is a young captain and he would need to change the environment. He needs to understand that he won’t get headlines for scoring 150. It will only happen if the team plays connectively and wins. Unless you take chances, get your skills challenged - how would you become a successful side?
“You saw the Zimbabwe series. It was an ideal opportunity to try the youngsters but that didn’t happen. The same old players played there. Babar needs to change this. Pakistan will face tougher situations in the future and his career itself is shaping up. It all depends on a skipper how he changes the environment of the dressing room and tests the talent in his team.
“It’s time for a change. They need to change their mindset and experiment with new talents. For the sake of Pakistan cricket, think tank needs to make massive changes,” Raja concluded.
The three-match T20I series between Pakistan and England will kick off on July 16.
