Former Pakistan pacer Shoaib Akhtar and out of favour opener Ahmed Shehzad tore into the team management after Pakistan failed to qualify for the semi-finals of the ongoing T20 World Cup, calling the setup “completely clueless” following a heartbreaking exit.
Pakistan, led by Salman Ali Agha, kept their hopes alive with a high-scoring win over Sri Lanka in Pallekele on Saturday. However, the victory did not come by the margin required to overhaul New Zealand on Net Run Rate, as England and New Zealand progressed to the last four.
PAK vs SL, T20 World Cup: Scorecard | Highlights
Speaking on PTV Sports’ Game On Hai after the match, Akhtar launched a scathing assessment of the campaign, questioning the team selections made throughout the tournament.
“Completely clueless. I think Pakistan management is completely clueless. By selecting the right team today, they proved that the team that they had been playing throughout the tournament was wrong,” Akhtar said during the post-match discussion.
Akhtar’s remarks reflected frustration over what he suggested was a belated correction in combination — a change that came only when Pakistan’s qualification chances were hanging by a thread.
Shehzad, meanwhile, echoed similar concerns on his YouTube channel, questioning what the current setup has achieved in the three years it has been in place
“This setup has been in place for three years now, and instead of moving forward, our vehicle is going in the reverse direction. There’s no improvement to be seen. We were promised during the Asia Cup that youngsters will be developed and other areas will be strengthened. What area have they strengthened though? Did we not support you when you brought youngsters into the team in the Asia Cup?” Shehzad said.
The 33-year-old also raised questions over tactical decisions, particularly the reshuffle at the top of the order. He pointed to the 84-run partnership between Fakhar Zaman and Sahibzada Farhan in the Asia Cup final against India and wondered why that opening combination was altered.
“What was the need to change that opening combination? You were supposed to fix the middle order,” he said.
Shehzad further criticised the decision to slot Babar Azam at No. 4. “And this is how you fix the middle order? By bringing Babar Azam into the mix? Someone who wasn’t able to bat in easy conditions, either as an opener or at one-down is now being played at No 4. Do you select teams based on social media pressure?
“You had been given three years to fix Pakistani cricket. Is that not enough time to get the job done? Even if you don’t win, at least show some improvement. But there’s no improvement either, you don’t even qualify,” he added.
Pakistan’s task before the Sri Lanka clash was steep. They needed either a 65-run win or to chase down a target inside 13 overs to surpass New Zealand on Net Run Rate. After posting 212/8, they were required to restrict Sri Lanka to 147 or fewer.
Instead, the Dasun Shanaka-led side went past the 147-mark and nearly chased down the 213-run target, with Shanaka striking an unbeaten 76 and Pavan Rathnayake contributing 58. While Pakistan secured victory on the night, it proved insufficient — their campaign ending not with a collapse, but with a margin that simply wasn’t big enough.
T20 World Cup | T20 World Cup Schedule | T20 World Cup Points Table | T20 World Cup Videos | Cricket News | Live Score
