Kamran Akmal, the former cricketer renowned for his contributions toPakistan’s victorious ICC World Twenty20 campaign in 2009, recently sharedhis insights into the struggles faced by the Pakistan Cricket Team. Theseinsights came after India delivered a resounding victory against Pakistanduring the Super Four game of the Asia Cup 2023. On the ARY News show “HarLamhaa Purjosh,” he shed light on the diverging selection processes betweenPakistan and India.
Akmal highlighted a significant contrast in the approach to playerselection between the two cricketing nations. He emphasized that Pakistanprimarily selects players based on their performance in T20 matches. This,in his view, has led to a roster of players who excel in the shorter formatbut may struggle to handle the pressure in different cricketing formats.
While acknowledging the prowess of individuals like Pakistan captain BabarAzam, Fakhar Zaman, Imam-ul-Haq, and Mohammad Rizwan, Akmal expressedconcerns about the overall experience of the squad in longer formats. Heargued that the team needs comprehensive training to adapt to differentgame scenarios.
Akmal did not hold back in his critique of Pakistan’s batting lineup,labeling it as mismatched. He questioned the effectiveness of thecombination of six batters and expressed disappointment that MohammadRizwan found himself batting lower in the order.
In a bold recommendation, Akmal proposed that the inconsistent Fakhar Azamshould be dropped from the team for the crucial Super Four stage fixtureagainst Bangladesh. He suggested that either captain Babar Azam or MohammadRizwan could open the innings instead.
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Addressing the form of vice-captain Shadab Khan, Akmal attributed hisreduced wicket-taking ability to a transition from being a specialistspinner to an all-rounder. He drew a comparison with Kuldeep Yadav,highlighting Yadav’s effectiveness in high-pressure situations due to hisspecialization.
Lastly, Akmal urged Pakistan to fully utilize Mohammad Nawaz, a passionatespecialist spinner who could make significant contributions to the team’ssuccess. He contrasted Pakistan’s selection process with India’s,emphasizing that many of India’s players were preparing for the ICC CricketWorld Cup 2023, emphasizing the differences in their squad compositions
