Saddened by Pakistan`s pathetic show at the Champions Trophy, former captains Wasim Akram and Rameez Raja on Sunday lashed out at side`s "spineless" batting and said the time has come for rebuilding the team.
|Last Updated: Jun 16, 2013, 07:55 PM IST|Source: Bureau
Karachi: Saddened by Pakistan`s pathetic show at the Champions Trophy, former captains Wasim Akram and Rameez Raja on Sunday lashed out at side`s "spineless" batting and said the time has come for rebuilding the team.
Pakistan lost all the three Group matches to crash out of the tournament.
"What has really concerned me is that we could not play out our full quota of overs in even one match. The batting generally has been spineless and shameful. This is not the way to play in a top tournament. I think it is time changes were made in the team and youngsters were given proper chances to establish themselves," Akram said.
"For too long we have been relying on the same players who have failed us again and again," the bowing great added.
Except skipper Misbah-ul-Haq, all others came in the firing line of Akram and Rameez. Misbah scored two half- centuries in Pakistan?s defeats to West Indies and South Africa when the team fell for under 200 runs.
"I don`t see any threat to his future. He was your only batsman to play the way other players should have played. I can say if Misbah had not scored runs on the tour this team the way it batted could have even been bowled out for totals of 30 or more," Akram said.
The former great also lashed out at all-rounder Muhammad Hafeez who is being touted by a strong lobby as a possible replacement as captain for Misbah.
"I don`t think Misbah should be changed as captain. Hafeez is just not mature enough or ready for this job. They call him professor and all that but first he must prove himself by being a match winner for Pakistan in the big matches, then consider him as future captain," Akram said bluntly.
Raja also called for hard decisions.
"I was appalled and sad by the way our batsmen performed. For too long our bowlers have put their hands up and supported the batsmen. Unfortunately there is no balance between the two in our team and that is the major problem," he said.
"We must learn from India. For the first time in my life I was sure this Indian team will beat us. I am sad by the indifferent and irresponsible attitude of some of the players. The time has come for changes and a new team to be rebuilt."
Rameez also said that Pakistan`s entire cricket structure needed to be revamped with special focus on domestic cricket competitions.
"The unfortunate part is that we have focused only on quantity not quality in our domestic cricket and the result is no one takes it seriously neither is it producing the quality players we had in the past," he said.
He said honest administrators were also required to revamp Pakistan cricket`s structure with hard and honest decisions in line.
PTI
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts.
Cookies Setting
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device and the processing of information obtained via those cookies (including about your preferences, device and online activity) by us and our commercial partners to enhance site navigation, personalise ads, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. More information can be found in our Cookies and Privacy Policy. You can amend your cookie settings to reject non-essential cookies by clicking Cookie Settings below.
Manage Consent Preferences
Strictly Necessary Cookies
These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work or you may not be able to login.
Functional Cookies
These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalisation. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies then some or all of these services may not function properly.
Targeting Cookies
These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They are also used to limit the number of times you see an advert as well as help measure the effectiveness of an advertising campaign. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.
Performance Cookies
These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies we may not know when you have visited our site, and may not be able to monitor its performance.