Pakistan faced a crushing loss against Zimbabwe in the T20 World Cup Group 2 match on Thursday. Chasing a 131-run target, Pakistan fell short by a run as they were restricted to 129/8 by a spirited Zimbabwean side; with the loss, Pakistan’s chances of qualifying for the semi-finals took a massive hit. The side’s poor performance in the Perth match was largely due to an unconvincing performance from the batsmen; with the exception of Shan Masood, who scored a gritty 44, no other batsman could inspire confidence as a relatively less experienced Zimbabwe side trumped the men in green.
After the match, Pakistan‘s selection committee was criticized for the selection of the group; the side’s struggles in the middle order were well documented in the lead-up to the World Cup, and many former Pakistan cricketers believed the team needed experience in that role. Seasoned all-rounder Shoaib Malik was widely touted for selection in the squad but the PCB selection committee decided to send the existing bunch of middle-order batsmen to Australia.
After the loss, Zimbabwe’s Wasim Akram lashed out at the selection committee, insisting that Malik should have been part of the team. “We knew over the last year that the middle order was weak. Shoaib Malik is sitting here. If I were the captain, what would my ultimate goal be? Win the World Cup! I would go to any lengths to achieve that. If I want Shoaib Malik in my team, I will tell the chairman and the selectors that I will not play in the World Cup unless I get my player,” Akram told.
However, the next day on the same channel, a fan reminded Akram that he had not picked Malik in his own T20 World Cup squad before the tournament began. “When you were asked to pick your T20 World Cup team on the show, you didn’t pick Malik. He kept the same team except Azam instead of Haider,” asked a fan of Akram. The former Pakistan captain had a rather unusual remark on the matter. “Bohot time hai aapke paas. It happened during the streak. As a former cricketer and commentator, jab mere se pucha jaata hai ki aap apni XI banaayein, this is the last thing I want to do. It’s boring. Toh mujhe vo team dete hain, main kehta hu haan ye hi theek hai,” said Akram. “You think the main vahan baithkar poori kitaabein nikaalkar likhta hu?” No, I have not.”
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