Wasim Akram, the former Pakistan legend, has indicated that captain Babar Azam and ace pacer Shaheen Afridi are not on talking terms. He also slammed Mohammad Rizwan for lack of game awareness as Pakistan lost to India in T20 World Cup 2024 on Sunday, June 9.
Chasing a relatively insignificant total of 120, Pakistan was cruising at 80-3 after 14 overs until Bumrah cannoned a ball into the stumps to dismiss Pakistan’s leading scorer Mohammad Rizwan for 31.
After knocking India out for 119 in 19 overs, Pakistan were limited to 113-7 in 20 overs in a low-scoring thriller. India’s six-run victory pushed Pakistan, the 2022 runners-up, to the verge of elimination from the group stage.
“They have been playing cricket for 10 years, and I can’t teach them. Rizwan has no game awareness. Mohammad Rizwan 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,” Akram said on Star Sports.
“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 you about the game awareness Fakhar Zaman. 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 added.
Pakistan had done well with the ball on a tricky pitch and let it all get out of hand with poor batting.
“Make these players sit at home” – Wasim Akram on Babar Azam and Shaheen Afridi rivalry
Wasim Akram also revealed Babar Azam and Shaheen Shah Afridi are not on talking terms since the change of captaincy.
“There are players who don’t want to talk to each other. This is international cricket, and you play for your country. Make these players sit at home,” he said.
It was the second-lowest total ever successfully defended at the men’s T20 World Cup. It was the lowest total India had ever defended in a full T20 international and helped extend its mark to 7-1 in T20Is against Pakistan.
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