"Jay Shah will be criticised for it" - Kamran Akmal unhappy with Asia Cup 2023 venuesÂ
Pakistan's veteran keeper-batter Kamran Akmal has expressed his displeasure over rain playing spoilsport in the Sri Lanka leg of the ongoing Asia Cup 2023.
He opined that the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) members were aware that the weather may not be ideal for cricket in Sri Lanka during the tournament, but still gave the nod to satisfy their egos.
Akmal suggested that ACC president Jay Shah would be criticized by fans who were eager to watch India and Pakistan lock horns at the ODI continental showpiece. He also claimed that the competition would have been a big hit if Pakistan were allowed to host all the games.
Speaking on his YouTube channel, he remarked:
"It seems as if all the scheduled matches in Sri Lanka will be interrupted due to rain. We knew what the forecast would be. If the venues aren't changed, it will lead to losses worth millions of dollars. The losses are inevitable. Some people's egos are responsible for this situation. It will also break the hearts of fans who were eagerly waiting for India-Pakistan matches.
"Fans will distance themselves if they don't get what they want. Jay Shah will be criticised for it. If they had kept the differences aside and put cricket at the forefront by agreeing to play in Pakistan, the Asia Cup would have been a big success."
Notably, the Asia Cup 2023 is being hosted by Sri Lanka and Pakistan as per a hybrid model. However, multiple matches in Sri Lanka, including the much-awaited India-Pakistan game, have been interrupted by rain, much to the disappointment of the viewers.
"Their relaxed attitude resulted in Nepal scoring 230" - Kamran Akmal on India's performance in second group-stage fixture
India completed a comprehensive 10-wicket win (DLS method) over Nepal in their second group-stage encounter of the Asia Cup 2023 at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium on Monday, September 4.
Kamran Akmal reckoned that India were a bit too relaxed as they were up against an associate nation, pointing out how there were a lot of dropped catches. He stated that the Men in Blue still have a lot of weaknesses to address in their bowling department.
Assessing India's bowling and fielding performances, Akmal said:
"Mohammed Siraj looked off-color. India should not have let Nepal score 230 runs. There were also a few dropped catches early on. This happens when a top team is playing a lower-ranked team, as the bodies of the players tend to be a bit more relaxed. However, their relaxed attitude resulted in Nepal scoring 230.
"If those catches had been taken, they would have again been bundled out for about 120 runs. Nepal's score has given a message to other teams that there are weaknesses in India's bowling."
After being asked to bat first, Nepal posted a 230-run total. Mohammed Siraj and Ravindra Jadeja bagged three wickets each, while Hardik Pandya, Shardul Thakur, and Mohammed Shami finished with one wicket apiece.