Ex-Pakistan players lament Zimbabwe loss, criticise selection

Karachi, October 28

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Embarrassed by Pakistan’s shock defeat to Zimbabwe, which has put the team at the risk of not making the semifinals of the T20 World Cup, former players have angrily lashed out at team selection.

“Very very embarrassing and disappointing,” former fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar said. “The fact is that you have to play hard to even beat a team like Zimbabwe, they wouldn’t be defeated by themselves. Our selections have been average and our mindset has been average and it has landed Pakistan cricket in this mess.”

“Is this where our cricket has come to? We can’t score 130 runs against a low ranked team like Zimbabwe. If this is our batting quality, then God help our cricket,” former Test opener Mohsin Khan said. Mohsin, a former head coach and chief selector, said the team didn’t show any intent. “Zimbabwe bowlers were disciplined and persistent and it was clear they wanted to win this match more than us,” he said.

Test great Javed Miandad said: “This is what happens when you allow non-performing batters to remain in the team and keep deserving players out. I have said it before, international cricket is not a place for learning and unfortunately, every time the team has done badly we have tried to sweep it under the carpet by saying that they are learning.”

Former skipper Salman Butt questioned Babar Azam’s captaincy. “These players were not just equipped to play well in Australia and once Mohammad Rizwan and Babar Azam didn’t get going, the writing was on the wall for us,” he said. “I have been saying all along that you don’t make someone a captain so that he can learn while playing and leading the national team. You only appoint someone as captain when you know he has the required leadership qualities to lead the other players well.” — PTI

Rain ruins Australia-England showdown

MELBOURNE: The T20 World Cup clash between champions Australia and England was abandoned without a ball bowled due to rain today, leaving both teams’ semifinals hopes hanging in the balance and fans disappointed at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. With the Ireland-Afghanistan match also washed out at the venue earlier on, England emerged from a miserable day at second in Group 1 among a logjam of four teams on three points. Reuters