Former Pakistani cricketer Ahmed Shehzad has raised significant concerns about the batting performance of the Pakistan cricket team. According to Shehzad, the team has been consistently underperforming, yet some players continue to get opportunities simply because they have become the poster boys of Pakistan cricket.
Shehzad’s remarks came after Pakistan lost a match against India despite good bowling. India, batting first, scored 119 runs. However, the Pakistan cricket team failed to chase this modest target, losing the match by 6 runs.
Shehzad pointed out that it was not the effort of the Indian bowlers alone that led to Pakistan’s defeat, but also the self-inflicted mistakes by the Pakistani batsmen. The team failed to grasp the game’s requirements in time, showing neither proper tempo nor calculation, and batted recklessly, leading to their downfall.
This performance angered Wasim Akram as well, a member of Pakistan’s victorious 1992 World Cup team. Akram mentioned feeling ashamed of the current team, although he still wants to support them.
Speaking on a Pakistani news channel, Ahmed Shehzad specifically targeted Babar Azam, questioning how, despite building a team for five years, they still haven’t found a reliable middle-order batsman. He also criticized the Pakistani batsmen for their lack of responsibility.
According to Shehzad, the batsmen play cautiously for the first 15 overs and then recklessly swing their bats in the last five overs, a strategy that does not bring success in international cricket.
Shehzad also criticized the management of the Pakistan cricket team, suggesting that they create dramatic narratives for sympathy when the team loses. He mentioned that excuses like Babar Azam not sleeping, Shadam Khan not eating for four days, or players not shopping because of a loss are just ploys by the management to garner public sympathy.
These strong words from Shehzad, himself a former player for Pakistan, reflect his frustration. Given the team’s recent losses to USA, New Zealand’s B team, Ireland, and Zimbabwe over the past 12 months, his anger seems justified. He is not alone, as several other former players have also questioned the attitude and performance of the Pakistan cricket team.
