"Badi sharamindagi hoti hai ki..." - Inzamam-ul-Haq highlights 'openers problem' after Pakistan's disastrous T20 World Cup campaign

Former Pakistan captain and chief selector Inzamam-ul-Haq has blamed poor selection for Pakistan's dismal campaign in the ongoing ICC T20 World Cup 2024.

The Men in Green bowed out at the group stage of the ninth edition of the T20 World Cup after suffering losses against the USA and India. The Babar Azam-led side began their campaign in the tournament with a shock loss against the USA, losing the game in the Super Over after their bowlers could not defend 159. 

It was followed by a humiliating six-run loss against arch-rivals India. The bowlers did well to restrict Team India to 119 runs but the batters could not come up with a good effort as Pakistan finished their innings on 113. It was followed by wins over Canada and Ireland but those victories were not enough for a place in the Super 8s. From Group A, India and USA qualified for the next round.

Inzamam-ul-Haq slams selection panel:

With Pakistan out of the T20 World Cup, Inzamam-ul-Haq has called for a revision in the selection process to make a better team. The Pakistan legend stated that the selectors made a mistake by not including enough middle-order batters in the squad, saying that most of the batters in the playing eleven were openers.

"Jis tarah ki selection hui hai, aisi selection nahi karni hai. Pehle se lekar paanchwi tak sab openers hi khel rahe hai. Koi middle-order hi nahi hai Pakistan me. Badi sharamdagi hoti hai ki poore Pakistan me koi middle order batsmen hi nahi hai, jisko hum select kar sake," (Roughly translated to: The kind of selection that has been done, it is not the way to do it. From the first to the fifth, all the batters are openers. There is no middle-order in Pakistan. It is very embarrassing that in the whole of Pakistan, there isn't a single middle-order batsman who can be selected.)," Inzaman said on his YouTube channel.

He further pointed out another poor selection in the team, saying that the player who was selected as a spinner became a batsman and did not even bowl in the tournament.

"Bowlers aise hai ki woh as a spinner select huwe hai aur woh batsman ban gaya, woh bowling kar hi nahi rahe. Teen teen matches ho gaye, nahi kar rahe. Iss tarah ki selection nahi honi chahiye, yeh thoda sa change hona chahiye (roughly translated to: The bowler who was selected as a spinner became a batsman and he did not even bowl. This kind of selection should not happen)," said Inzamam-ul-Haq.