In the Super Four match of the Asia Cup held yesterday, Pakistan experienced a crushing defeat at the hands of India, suffering a substantial loss by a margin of 228 runs. Pakistan\’s bowlers struggled significantly, failing to contain India\’s formidable batting lineup, which accumulated a commanding total of 356 runs while losing only 2 wickets in their allotted 50 overs. Adding to Pakistan\’s woes, their batsmen faltered during the pursuit of the target. Renowned former Pakistani cricketer, Ramiz Raja, openly criticized the performance of Pakistan\’s bowlers.
Ramiz expressed deep-seated concerns about the mentality of Pakistan\’s bowlers, underscoring their collective struggle on the field. Despite Shaheen Shah Afridi and Shadab Khan managing to secure a wicket each, their economy rates exceeded 7. Furthermore, all bowlers, except Naseem Shah, maintained an economy rate exceeding 6. Ramiz raised doubts about the bowlers\’ mindset, while refraining from laying blame on Pakistan\’s captain, Babar Azam, for the team\’s lackluster performance.
In a video on his YouTube channel, Ramiz conveyed his viewpoint, saying, \”While Captain Babar faces considerable criticism, I believe the core issue resides in the negative mindset of our Pakistani bowlers. If they cannot make astute fielding decisions and neglect to employ slip fielders when required, can we reasonably fault Babar? The bowlers seem to lack the zeal for taking wickets. They allowed batters like Kohli to accumulate easy singles by placing fielders on the boundary as early as the first over! Pakistan must urgently address these bowling deficiencies.\”
In contrast, India\’s pace bowlers exhibited an exceptional performance, capitalizing on the struggles of Pakistan\’s bowlers. Pakistan\’s batsmen encountered substantial challenges in facing the precise line and length delivered by Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Hardik Pandya, and Shardul Thakur. The seam movement displayed by these pacers was particularly remarkable. Moreover, Pakistan\’s batsmen found themselves ill-equipped to counter Kuldeep Yadav\’s spin bowling. Overall, India\’s bowling unit showcased outstanding expertise.
Ramiz did not withhold praise for India\’s bowlers, extolling their exceptional performance. He commented, \”India\’s bowling was truly outstanding. Their adeptness in generating swing and seam movement, combined with their precision in delivering the ball, left Pakistan\’s batsmen perplexed. Pakistan faces a substantial challenge in enhancing their bowling performance.\”