'Kya matlab unko Pakistan mein khana nahi milta' - Fans react as legendary player lays serious allegations on Pakistan team after their loss against Afghanistan

Pakistan cricket team continued their poor performance in the ongoing ODI World Cup 2023. On October 23, Pakistan lost their third consecutive match of the tournament against Afghanistan. The match which was termed to be a tough competition for the Pakistan team, ended up eventually in a one-sided affair as Afghanistan won the match by a huge margin of eight wickets.

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Citing this debacle, former Pakistan captain, Wasim Akram, criticized Babar Azam's team after their surprising loss to lower-ranked Afghanistan during a dramatic match in the 2023 World Cup in Chennai. He highlighted concerns about the players' fitness levels and expressed disappointment as Pakistan faced their third consecutive defeat in the tournament, significantly affecting their semi-final prospects.

This match marked Pakistan's first-ever defeat to Afghanistan in ODI cricket during their 8th encounter. Despite notable contributions, including fifties from Babar Azam, and Abdullah Shafique, and valuable performances from Iftikhar Ahmed and Shadab Khan, Pakistan posted a competitive total of 282 runs on a challenging pitch in Chennai. Initially, it appeared that Pakistan had a substantial score on the board.

"It's embarrassing. Just 2 wickets, 280-290 is a big score. The pitch is wet or not wet. Fielding was... you look at the fitness levels. We have been discussing on this show that there has been no fitness test for the last 2 years. If I take the players' individual names, they won't like it. It looks like they are eating 8 kg of mutton every day," Akram told on A Sports show The Pavilion.

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There should be tests: Wasim Akram

Akram further commented that the Pakistan players were not fond of the fitness tests implemented during their tenure under former head coach Misbah-ul-Haq. However, he emphasized that these fitness tests played a crucial role in ensuring that the team focused on fundamental aspects of their game.

"There should be tests. Professionally, you are playing for your country, you are being paid. I am with Misbah. When he was coach, he had that criteria, players hated him. But it worked for the team. Fielding is all about fitness, and it shows on the field. Now we have come to a stage, where we will pray, do ifs and buts, wait for other teams to lose, then we can reach the semi-finals," he added.