Pakistan will even struggle to beat Netherlands in World Cup 2023: Kamran Akmal
Karachi : Pakistan's former wicket-keeper batsman Kamran Akmal slammed the Babar Azam-led team for their poor performance against India in the previous game of Asia Cup 2023.
With Virat Kohli (122 not out off 94 balls) and Rahul (111 not out off 106 balls), India posted a huge total of 356 runs against Pakistan, in reply the latter faced 228-run defeat after the team collapsed badly against Indian bowlers. Kuldeep Yadav took 5 wickets and gave away just 25 runs in his spell.
After the defeat, Pakistan fans are not happy with their side as a significant drop was seen in the internation ODI rankings as well. Babar Azam's side was No.1 before this defeat, but now they have slipped to No.3 after seeing a drop of -1.892 NRR.
On his youtube channel, Kamran Akmal lashed out at the Pakistan Cricket Team and criticised them for their poor performance.
"If you aspire to excel in the World Cup, if your goal is to reach the Asia Cup final, and if this is your mindset, then even defeating the Netherlands will prove challenging. What decisions are the management making? Who made the call to bowl first? At the very least, instruct the players to hold their ground. The team's run rate has taken a significant hit. Remember, you once successfully chased a target of around 190 runs in just over 40 overs against Bangladesh," Akmal said.
"Convey messages. Look at the dismissals of Shadab, Iftikhar, and Salman. It was essential to remind them to bat through the full quota of overs and aim for a score of at least 260-280. They are well aware that the PCB won't scrutinize them rigorously. There seems to be a lack of strategy and a clear approach.
"It appears as though everyone has taken an extended vacation. Regrettably, I have to state that the team's performance resembled that of schoolboys against a formidable opponent," he concluded.
Pakistan will now face Sri Lanka on September 15, 2023. The winning team will move to the final and face India. In case, the match washes out due to rain then Sri Lanka will automatically reach to the final with better NRR.
