Shoaib Akhtar Blasts Pakistan For Loss In 2nd ODI To England's Second-String Side
Published - 11 Jul 2021, 05:16 PM | Updated - 23 Aug 2024, 12:49 AM
Former fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar lambasted the Pakistan batting line-up as they meekly surrendered to England‘s second- or third-string bowling attack, for the second time on Saturday, after losing the first match as well.
A full-strength Pakistan side has now lost two back-to-back games, one while defending and one while chasing, to an England team that fielded 5 debutants in the first ODI, and nobody other than Ben Stokes has any significant ODI experience.
It is their batting which is in shambles – they were bowled out for 141 in the first match and for 195 in the second while chasing 248.
Akhtar doesn’t mince any words when he terms the batting performance of Babar Azam’s side as “very very average”. He also predicts England will now clean sweep the visitors in the third game on Tuesday.
“Although it was just run-a-ball and what was there in that bowling for you to have so much difficulty. The ball nibbles around a little, that itself is a lot for you. A very very average performance.”
“It has not yet happened. It is going to be 3-0. Pakistan worked hard to make sure they give an average performance. The Pakistan batting has always let us down and the same trend continues now also.”
They play like T20 and get out like that: Shoaib Akhtar
In both the games, it was England’s new-ball bowling pair of Saqib Mahmood and Lewis Gregory that caused major damage to Pakistan’s batsmen, who got out mostly to deliveries outside off, or played down the wrong line.
Akhtar reckons this is how Pakistan batters play in the shortest form and get out similarly there. The former speedster also called out PCB for not investing properly in their cricket.
“No one enjoys criticizing anyone. But tell me, which kid will start playing cricket after watching this team? The PCB’s plan is that no one should watch or follow cricket and they don’t have to spend anything.
“What was there in the wicket, first tell me that. Pakistan is only a T20 team. They play like T20 and get out like that. They lose five wickets in twenty overs. In T20s also, they score 150-175 and exactly the same in ODIs,” the 45-year-old added.
