"They looked scared and underconfident" - Ramiz Raja on Pakistan's humiliating 8-wicket loss to Afghanistan in 2023 World Cup
Former Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Ramiz Raja has expressed his displeasure over the Men in Green's dismal performance in their 2023 World Cup match against Afghanistan in Chennai on Monday, October 23.
Babar Azam and Co. suffered an embarrassing eight-wicket defeat as they failed to defend a 282-run total. This was their third successive defeat in the ongoing ICC event and their first-ever loss to Afghanistan in ODIs.
Ramiz opined that the Pakistani players never looked confident on the field in the fixture, constantly worrying about dropping catches or leaking runs. Speaking in his latest YouTube video, he said (4:35):
"If you saw the body language of these players, you would not believe that this was a Pakistani team. They looked scared and underconfident. It seemed as if they were worried about dropping a catch or thinking about what would happen if they conceded a lot of runs in an over."
The cricketer-turned-commentator also questioned Babar Azam's tactics to rely on his spinners during the latter stages of the innings, even when pacer Hasan Ali was able to extract some reverse swing from one end, saying (4:08):
"Pakistan have a lot of problems to deal with. Babar Azam needs to improve a lot tactically. Hasan Ali was getting the ball to reverse towards the back end of the innings. The equation was run-a-ball at that stage. Pakistan needed wickets, and Hasan Ali looked very close to getting a dismissal. What was the need to bowl a spinner from the other end?"
The Pakistani bowlers failed to get going against Afghanistan. Shaheen Afridi and Hasan Ali finished with one wicket each, while the others remained wicketless.
"The disappointment was writ large on Babar Azam's face" - Ramiz Raja on Pakistan losing to Afghanistan
Ramiz Raja stated that Pakistan have never faced such a surprising defeat in the history of the game. He mentioned that the loss to Afghanistan will be a major cause for concern in their 2023 World Cup campaign.
Ramiz also pointed out how skipper Babar Azam looked visibly dejected during the post-match interview, adding (0:17):
"It was a massive disaster for Pakistan in this World Cup. Losing to Afghanistan will hurt badly. The disappointment was writ large on Babar Azam's face when I interviewed him... Pakistan have never dealt with a surprising defeat like this one before."
Ramiz claimed that Pakistan need a complete overhaul following the showpiece event. Urging the management to implement multiple changes, he said (6:30):
"After this World Cup, there has to be a serious discussion about altering the DNA of this team. They need a complete overhaul in terms of mindset, approach, new talent, and new ideas. We need to improve on each and every aspect. Pakistan have hit rock bottom. Babar Azam needs to step up and prove himself as a leader amid all this."
With two wins from five outings, the Babar Azam-led side are currently placed fifth in the points table. They will now take on South Africa at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on Friday, October 27.