Pakistan under fire after dire collapse against West Indies
Pakistan legands have heavily criticised the current crop
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Your support makes all the difference.Pakistan’s great players of the past lined up to heavily criticise the current team after their 150-run World Cup defeat to West Indies in Christchurch yesterday.
Fast bowler Jerome Taylor’s triple strike left Pakistan lurching at 1-4 – the worst start in any ODI – in pursuit of the 311-run target before the team was dismissed for 160 in 39 overs, failing to play out full quota of 50 overs for the second successive match.
Former captain and coach Javed Miand said: “Shambolic is a mild word... It really hurts to see the planning of Pakistan’s think-tank.” Former Test spinner Saqlain Mushtaq was also scathing. “We went to pieces against a West Indies side hit by internal issues so what can we expect from this team in the remaining games?”
Former paceman Shoaib Akhtar labelled captain Misbah-ul-Haq “selfish”, adding: “He is not willing to bat up the order to protect the other players at a time when he needs to show inspiration. Coach Waqar Younis has no game plan or direction for the team.” Misbah batted at five but made only seven.
Former Test captain Ramiz Raja believes it is time for senior batsman Younus Khan to step down after failing in the first two World Cup matches, following the earlier defeat to arch-rivals India. “I beg of Younus. Thank you for your services to Pakistan cricket but please leave this ODI side now,” said Ramiz. “Our fielding has also been a joke.”
Another former captain Mohammad Yousuf called for wholesale changes to be made after the World Cup. “The problems ailing our cricket will not go away unless we produce better batsmen and the management is reshuffled,” Yousuf said.
Misbah’s assessment was equally frank: “We couldn’t bowl well, dropped catches and the batting flopped. There’s not one department where we’re not doing bad.”
Andre Russell had smashed 42 not out off 13 balls as West Indies, who were humbled by Ireland in their first game of this tournament, hit 115 from their final 10 overs to finish on 310-6.
The defeat leaves 1992 champions Pakistan, who face Zimbabwe on 1 March in their next match, bottom of Pool B.
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