Former PCB CEO and current ICC general manager for cricket, Wasim Khan has accused the Pakistani batters for choosing personal milestones over the team and causing the team to loose matches which they should’ve won.
According to Wasim, over the last five years, the national team’s primary batters have focused more on achieving goals, resulting in their team’s defeat in matches. He also added that since the last five years, the main batters are playing for their ICC rankings than to win matches for the team, causing the criticism from all quarters.
‘Since the past five years, if you look at the stats from 40 to 50 and then from 90 to 100, our main batters are prioritizing personal milestones leaving behind the team, and that’s the issue, and that causes us the matches. In the past, I saw our main batters score five-five centuries in a single game, but faced white-wash in that ODI series even after scoring 200-300 runs,’ he was quoted by Cricket Pakistan.
The 44-year-old also stated that the Pakistan batters demonstrated their ability to adapt to changing circumstances by elevating their strike rates from 70 to 100, resulting in a hard-earned victory.
Until The ICC Rankings Remain In The Equation. Things Wouldn’t Change: Wasim Khan On Pakistan Batters
Often Pakistani batters like Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan are accused of playing selfishly to maintain their rankings in the ICC. Currently Babar and Rizwan are ranked no.2 and no.3 in the ICC T20I batting rankings.
Babar Azam is ranked no.1 in ICC ODI Rankings with Imam Ul Haq at no.3 and Fakhar Zaman at no.10. Babar is also ranked no.5 in Test rankings.
Wasim Khan showed concerns about whether the team will maintain their habit of adapt to dynamic circumstances by elevating their strike rates in ODIs, in the upcoming series against New Zealand. But he said that until the ICC rankings remain in the equation. things wouldn’t change.
“Success in cricket often depends on adapting to changing circumstances. In the previous ODI series against Australia, Pakistan’s batters demonstrated this by elevating their strike rates from 70 to 100, resulting in a hard-earned victory. As we look ahead to the upcoming series, it remains to be seen whether they will continue with the same technique. One thing is certain, however, until the ICC rankings remain in the equation. things wouldn’t change,” he concluded.