- Wasim Akram criticized Pakistan's performance.
- He suggested changing the entire team.
- He emphasizes the need for game awareness among players.
Pakistan suffered a six-run defeat against their arch-rivals India, marking their second loss in the World Cup in as many games.
Akram voiced his concerns on an Indian sports channel, stating, “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.”
He also critiqued the batting performances of Iftikhar Ahmed and Mohammad Rizwan in the low-scoring match.
“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. I can’t go and tell about the game awareness to Fakhar Zaman," he remarked.
He further added, "They have been playing cricket for 10 years, and I can’t teach them. Rizwan has no game awareness. 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.”
After winning the toss, Pakistan chose to bowl first on a pitch with variable bounce. Naseem Shah and Haris Rauf each took three wickets, while Rishabh Pant was the top scorer for India with a quick 42 runs, leading to India’s dismissal for 119.
In response, Mohammad Rizwan set the stage for the chase with a patient 31 runs, but Pakistan lost wickets at regular intervals. India’s fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah claimed key wickets, ending with figures of 3-14. Pakistan were limited to 113-7 in 20 overs.
In Group A, India is on the verge of entering the Super 8 with two victories from their first two matches, while Pakistan has zero points from two losses, including their surprise defeat by the host team, the United States, in their opening match.
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