Former Pakistan cricketer Shoaib Akhtar was visibly disappointed as his side suffered a devastating 6-wicket defeat to arch-rivals India in Dubai. Speaking after the match, Akhtar said he knew this was going to happen given the selection decisions made by the management and the lack of quality in the current Pakistan squad.
Speaking on a video on his X (formerly Twitter) account, Shoaib Akhtar said, “People are saying that I am very disappointed. I am not disappointed at all. The reason is that I already knew this was was going to happen. The world is playing with six bowlers, and you can’t even manage five. You go with all-rounders—I don’t know what you are thinking.”
“Just a brainless, clueless management. I am really disappointed. Now, what do we say to the players? The way the management is, the players are the same. They have no clue what needs to be done. Intent is one thing, but they don’t even have the skill set. They will play uppish shots like Rohit, Virat, or Shubman—hitting the ball in the air. Really disappointed. I think neither the players know anything nor does the management. They just went there to play without any clue about what needs to be done.” the former Pakistani pacer added.
Made abnormal people captain: Akhtar takes a dig at Rizwan
Speaking on a Pakistani TV channel after the loss, Akhtar said, “If I wasn’t getting paid, I wouldn’t even be sitting here or talking. I would not even wish to talk about Pakistan cricket if I wasn’t being paid. Honestly, I have nothing to do with cricket. I was requested to come and sit here, so I show up. I am saying this live on TV. I have no agenda to talk about them. Why would I waste my time?
When asked that people want to listen to him, Akhtar added, “I have been on TV since 2011, trust me, I have said it all. I have been watching cricket for the country since 2001. If you make abnormal people captains and allow strange people to come in, this is what will happen.”
Having won the toss and elected to bat first at the Dubai International Stadium, Mohammed Rizwan’s men were bowled out for 242 runs. While Pakistan’s batting has never been their forte, their bowling lacked the edge and zip that has become a hallmark of the Men in Green in the past. No Pakistani bowler, with the possible exception of spinner Abrar Ahmed, could trouble the Indian batsmen as India cruised to an 8-wicket victory in Dubai. Virat Kohli led the charge against the arch-rivals, hammering his 51st century off just 111 balls.
