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Shoaib Akhtar: (Image Source: Twitter)
Pakistan announced the 15-member squad for the 20-20 World Cup 2022 on Thursday (September 15). Fans were happy with the depth in the squad, although there were a few concerns about the strike rate of the selected players. Shoaib Akhtar is the one of the prominent names in the list of experts who slammed the team selection.
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The former pacer opined that the team lacks a proper middle-order and went on to call Babar Azam ‘a selfish person’. Shoaib Akhtar added that the Pakistan veteran must step up in the England T20Is and said that the chances of Pakistan bowing out in the group stages are high.
Shoaib Akhtar said that Babar Azam had picked only his friends and had failed as a captain. The slam attack did not stop there as he went on to thrash Pakistan’s selectors and chairman of the board. In the video uploaded on his YouTube channel, Shoaib Akhtar slammed everyone including Pakistan’s skipper.
I don’t think this is your forte: Shoaib Akhtar
The former pacer also attacked Saqlain Mushtaq and pointed out that the T20Is were not his forte. He rated the chief selector as ‘poor’ and slammed his decisions. Shoaib Akhtar feared that the team might face a humiliating exit from the upcoming 20-20 World Cup 2022.
“When the chief selector is average, his decision will also be average. Saqlain (Mushtaq) last played cricket in 2002, I don’t want to say this as he is my friend, but I don’t think he has any idea about T20 cricket. I don’t think this is your forte,” the pacer said on his channel.
As it stands, the team has been announced and the Men in Green will board the flight to Australia soon. Prior to that, the team will play as many as seven T20Is against England at home. This will be a great opportunity for the team to prepare themselves ahead of the mega event in Australia. Babar Azam will be the X-factor for the Pakistan team and he'll have to lead from the front.