Former Pakistan speedster Shoaib Akhtar on Monday (October 23) lashed out at the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and the Pakistan cricket team following their eight-wicket loss against Afghanistan in Chennai.
It was Pakistan’s third successive defeat in the ongoing World Cup and they are now on the verge of elimination. The Men in Green will need to win the remaining four games and hope for other results to go their way to reach the semi-final.
Speaking on his YouTube channel, Akhtar said this loss is a true reflection of the choices PCB has made over the past 20-30 years.
“You can’t say much after watching this performance. Please put right man for the right place for god sake. Anyone is becoming chairman, for how long we will keep supporting mediocrity. You will keep putting the average people at the helm, you will keep receiving such average performances,” Shoaib said on his Youtube channel.
“This is the true reflection of the PCB what is showing now on the television today. This is the direct impact of the choices you have made for the past 20-30 years in cricket. This is the end result, you are getting,” he added.
Akhtar feels there is not a single cricketer in the current Pakistan team who can inspire the kids to pick up the sport.
“Tell me one thing is this team has one inspiring cricketer. I have seen the likes of Waqar Younis, Wasim Akram, Imran Khan, Steve Waugh, Allan Border, Viv Richards. Which cricketer in the Pakistan team is inspiring enough for kids to pick up the sport. Why people still watch our videos. We were inspiring the generation,” the Rawalpindi Express said.
“I have played for Pakistan, my heart bleeds. I will keep supporting Pakistan. If I would have been with Babar now I would have told him step up as captain. This is the worst, which has happened. Now we are playing four teams and let win them all.
“If he is watching my videos, okay the system is messed up .. leave it. Play right people. Bring Fakhar back, give him the license to attack. Bring Zaman, look for other options. Play aggressively. Babar should also bat with the strike rate of 120. Pakistan is batting with the strike rate of 80 and 90. Gurbaz was playing at 122. Pakistan plays 150 dot balls in every match. We are scared.”
Shoaib wondered whether Babar Azam and company have it in them to bounce back and win the remaining four matches of the marquee event.
“Does Babar has the courage, does he has the stamina? does he has the ability? Can he act like 1992 Imran Khan? Can Shaheen become Wasim Akram? Can Haris Rauf become Aquib Javed, Can Shadab become Mushtaq Ahmed? Can this team do this? I believe in this team but do they? God knows,” he said.
Shoaib Akhtar also heaped praise on Afghanistan for showing maturity to emerge victorious against Pakistan.
“Many congratulations of Afghanistan. They are like our brothers. We have lost to our brother, which is fine. I am very happy for Zadran, Gurbaz … finally they have shown maturity, which was required. They gave themselves time in the middle. Hats off to their management .. Ajay Jadeja and Jonathan Trott, who taught them well.
“For the past fifty years, look at Afghanistan. They don’t have infrastructure, there is no first-class cricket. They have been through worse in the past couple of years and after going through everything, they have proven themselves and defeated Pakistan by eight wickets. They are teaching Pakistan how to play cricket. Well done Afghanistan!”
