Former Pakistan captain Wasim Akram went on an explosive rant against the men’s senior team after it lost the T20 World Cup match against arch-rivals India in a tame manner. The legendary speedster went after Mohammed Rizwan, Iftikhar Ahmed and Fakhar Zaman among others for not keeping their cool when the situation demanded it. 

Pakistan lost the match while chasing a lowly target of 120 as Indian bowlers, led by Jasprit Bumrah, produced a masterclass in defending a total. 

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“They have been playing cricket for 10 years, and I can’t teach them. Rizwan has no game awareness,” Akram told host broadcaster Star Sports.

Pakistan were going at a steady clip up until the 15th over when Bumrah was summoned by skipper Rohit Sharma for his second spell. Rizwan, who was the set batter at the stage, went after Bumrah on the first delivery and saw his offstump uprooted by an inswinging delivery. 

“He should have known that Bumrah was given the ball to take wickets and that the wise thing would have been to play his deliveries cautiously. But Rizwan went for a big shot and lost his wicket,” added Akram. 

Akram schools players

Akram particularly was miffed at Iftikhar Ahmed’s batting approach as the supposed finisher of the team.

“Iftikhar Ahmed knows one shot on the leg side. He has been a part of the team for years but doesn’t know how to bat,” said Akram.

Akram also pointed towards the politics in the Pakistan cricket setup where batters believe they have immunity from facing any consequence for their actions. 

“I can’t go and tell you about game awareness, Fakhar Zaman. Pakistani players think that if they don’t perform well, the coaches will be sacked, and nothing will happen to them. It is time to keep the coaches and change the entire team.”

“There are players who don’t want to talk to each other. This is international cricket, and you play for your country. Make these players sit at home,” he added. 

While India have all but secured a spot in the Super 8 stage after the win, Pakistan stand on the precipice of a shameful group stage exit. The Men-in-Green will have to win their remaining two matches with a big margin and hope that other results go in their favour. 

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