Tag: rift

  • Shoaib Malik blasts ‘unacquainted decision makers’ after humiliating defeat by Zimbabwe

    Shoaib Malik blasts ‘unacquainted decision makers’ after humiliating defeat by Zimbabwe

    Shoaib Malik has lambasted “unacquainted decision-makers” after a humiliating defeat by Zimbabwe in the second T20I at Harare Sports Club on Friday.

    Read more – PTI’s Faisal Javed rubbishes Mohammad Asif’s claims of meddling in players’ selection process

    Pakistan’s struggles with the middle-order were laid bare in Harare as the team slumped to a 19-run defeat, with Zimbabwe bowling them out for 99. Wobbles in the middle order have been a worry for much of Pakistan’s tours of South Africa and Zimbabwe, but the side had, by and large, escaped paying for it until now.

    Pakistan captain Babar Azam was sufficiently alarmed by Pakistan’s showing with the bat to warn solutions had to be found swiftly, with time running out before this year’s T20 World Cup.

    Taking to Twitter, Malik thrashed the management, saying: “Unacquainted decision makers need to take a step back; Babar and Chief Selector [Mohammad Wasim] need to call the shots. In my opinion, we need an international white-ball coach who understands cricket inside out and grooms our captain whilst giving clarity to our players for coming time.”

    The cricketer further said: “When your management relies on likes and dislikes especially when your cricket is just in surviving mode, then what else do expect as a nation?”

    “On top of that when you don’t let your captain take decisions this is bound to happen,” he added.

    In the post-match presentation ceremony, Azam said: “It’s a very painful performance. In South Africa, we had chased down 200; similarly here, we should have won this game comfortably. But unfortunately, we played poor cricket and continued to struggle in the middle order. Today, it was not just the middle order, but our batsmen right through couldn’t perform the way we expect them to. It was a collective collapse and we lost as a group. But credit to Zimbabwe who came back so strongly today.”

    Azam refused to make excuses for the defeat. “The wicket was similar to the other day but it was suitable [for batters] and that is not an excuse anyway. As a professional, you adapt to every condition but I think we as openers didn’t give a good start from the top and then our middle order was struggling to step up. The World T20 is closing in and we have to sort this out as soon as possible. The next game we will come back and make a good combination.”

    Meanwhile, there has been no official reaction from the PCB to Malik’s tweets yet, but as the fallout from Pakistan’s defeat grows, there are signs a man who made his debut in 1999 may yet be relevant to them in 2021.

    Zimbabwe beat Pakistan for the first time in T20I cricket in their 16th attempt, registering their first T20I win at home since 2016. The three-match series is currently level at 1-1, with the final game being played on Sunday.

    While Pakistan former speedster Shoaib Akhtar said: “Vulnerability of middle order badly exposed. Batsmen couldn’t tackle slow wicket. Embarrasing defeat. Have to come back stronger in the 3rd match.”

    Earlier, former captain of the Pakistan cricket team Shahid Afridi had also raised the middle-order crisis in Pakistan Cricket Team.

    While congratulating the Pakistani team on winning the T20I against South Africa, he emphasised the need to work on middle-order performances.

    “Despite the victory, we need to review the middle-order performances where we seem to be struggling for a long time,” wrote the former all-rounder on Twitter.

    He also suggested that since it is the T20 World Cup year, the team should consider bringing Malik back.

  • Shahid Afridi, Mohammad Amir confused over PCB’s player-selection criteria

    Shahid Afridi, Mohammad Amir confused over PCB’s player-selection criteria

    Shahid Afridi on Wednesday said that he was unable to understand the “standard of selection which the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) adopts,” while choosing players for the national team.

    Speaking at an event in Lahore, the former captain of the Pakistan Cricket Team not only expressed his confusion over PCB’s selection process but also said that the PCB did not have a solid plan in place for the Pakistan Super League’s (PSL) sixth edition because of which it had to be postponed.

    Afridi said that selectors, coaches, and captains form a team together.

    “Now, I am hearing that there are differences between them but these matters should not be leaked. It’s wrong to leak internal matters of the board,” said the skipping, adding that the most important role in the selection of the team is played by the captain as they have to make decisions on the field.

    “There is a lot of pressure on the skipper. He also has to answer questions to the media. If you want to take Babar Azam with you in the future, you have to give him power. We have to work with him,” he said. “Most importantly, the internal matters of the team shouldn’t be leaked.”

    Afridi said he does not understand the method of selection of the team and questioned the criteria based on which players are picked.

    “Players who have merely played two matches are being selected. For instance, Naseem Shah was selected and was allowed to play with very experienced bowlers. But now, Naseem is nowhere to be seen. If you invest in a player, you have to take them forward [with the team],” Afridi remarked.

    It is pertinent to mention here that Chief Selector Mohammad Wasim has refuted claims of a rift between him, Azam and head coach Misbah ul Haq, saying that there was no truth to them.

    Later, while talking about PSL6, which had to be called off after several players tested positive for COVID-19 despite staying in the biosecure bubble, Afridi said that the tournament should not have been postponed.

    “I don’t think the PSL should have been postponed. The Pakistan Super League is a very big brand of Pakistan. It is our honour, but the PCB did not seem to have a Plan B in place,” he said.

    Meanwhile, Mohammad Amir, who announced his retirement from Pakistan Cricket due to issues with PCB management, directly hit Wasim and said that the chief selector lacks the vision needed to take the country’s cricket forward.

    Speaking to Cricket Pakistan, Amir questioned the change in selection criteria for opener Sharjeel Khan.

    “There is no doubt that Sharjeel [Khan] should be in the white-ball squad because he is the most dangerous player in white-ball cricket in Pakistan,” said Amir. “One or two series ago, you were saying that he needs to work on his fitness to get selected so why have you taken this decision now? The only thing you considered is his performance, right?”

    “It is important that they [selection committee] keep the same criteria of selection for every player,” he added.

    “I don’t see any vision of the chief selector. I don’t know if he is asked to work like this or it’s his own mindset. Selecting teams on public opinion is not the right thing to do. He should select players who are best suited to play for Pakistan,” he further stated.

  • ‘Army chief’s extension is final,’ says PM Imran amid reports of govt-army rift

    ‘Army chief’s extension is final,’ says PM Imran amid reports of govt-army rift

    Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan’s office has again confirmed the three-year extension given to Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa recently, saying a notification pertaining to the extension in the general’s tenure has already been issued on August 19, Pakistan Today reported.

    According to the details, the statement came after a meeting between PM Imran and Gen Bajwa amid reports of an alleged rift between the civilian government and the military establishment. This was the second meeting of the two bigwigs in a week.

    During this meeting, the top leaders discussed matters pertaining to national security, said the statement issued by the PM House.

    In the earlier meeting, Gen Bajwa met Imran in an apparent attempt to allay the latter’s concerns over the recent political developments in the country. The statement further said that the two sides discussed the prevailing situation in Indian-occupied Kashmir (IoK) and at the western border, and internal security issues were discussed.

    The PM’s meeting with the army chief was followed by a meeting with Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) chief Lt Gen Faiz Hameed on Tuesday.

    However, media reports dub these meeting as an attempt to assuage Imran’s concerns by the military. “The government and army are not on the same page due to disagreement on certain points, especially the exit of former PM Nawaz Sharif from the country on health grounds,” reports had earlier stated.

    After these statements, military spokesperson Major General Asif Ghafoor refuted claims of an alleged divide between the country’s civilian and military leadership, reiterating that both sides are on the same page.

    “This is baseless gossip. There is absolutely nothing of the sort,” said ISPR director general as he dismissed speculations of a rift.

    “The army is supporting a democratically elected government as per the constitution. There will be no let-up in this [support] as it is a must for the progress and prosperity of Pakistan”, he added.