Published: Sep 05, 2024, 10:13 PM (IST)
Edited: Sep 05, 2024, 10:14 PM (IST)
The administration of the national side, both past and present, including the captains, has come under fire from former player and national selector Kamran Akmal for their lack of faith in spinners during home Test series.
After Pakistan’s 0-2 home loss to Bangladesh three years ago, Akmal said that the nation’s spinners had been routinely ignored and denied opportunities to prove their value.
We need a spinner to take wickets in order to win a home series. He said PTI, “I’ve noticed that the management and captains haven’t showed patience to develop the spinners over the last three to four years.
Experienced spinners like Yasir Shah, Noman Ali, Sajid Khan, Bilal Asif, Zahid Mahmood, and Usman Qadir should not be excluded, according to Akmal.
“Some spinners were kept in the squad by Babar (Azam), the captain, but he never bothered to play them on a regular basis. “How can spinners succeed if they don’t receive continuous exposure?” he questioned.
Akmal emphasized that Pakistan has previously won games at home by utilizing a combination of spin and pace.
“Our spinners were the main reason we won Tests, even when we had to play in the United Arab Emirates,” he stated.
“Even though our pacers aren’t as good as they were in the past, we still expect them to win the series.” One instance is the current series versus Bangladesh.
Yasir Shah is where? Is he not playing first-class cricket anymore? Where is Noman Ali these days? Was he not taking wickets? Was he penalized? In Australia, he had appendicitis, had surgery, and was subsequently sidelined.
What did Usman Qadir do wrong? What did Sajid Khan do wrong? What did Bilal Asif do wrong? “They are all out of the team despite taking five wickets,” he remarked.
Akmal said Pakistan batters’ ‘legs start to give way’ against pacers. “Our batters are comfortable against pacers bowling at 130-140 kmph, but when they face a pace of 140 kmph or more, and they see that on the scoreboard during the match, their legs start to give way,” he said.
“See how we struggled against Nahid Rana and Taskin Ahmed who bowl 140 kmph plus. Look at the way our main batters were dismissed,” he said.
Players should prioritize their home cricket rather than concentrating solely on leagues abroad, according to Akmal.
“In order to make money, they would rather travel to play in worthless foreign leagues, which is not assisting them in improving their skills. The international stage is witnessing inconsistent performances as a result of this lack of dedication to domestic cricket.
According to Kamran, there is nothing wrong with athletes hoping to make money in overseas leagues. He continued, “But I think that in order to be a professional, you have to strike a balance between earning money and developing yourself as a player for your nation.”
According to Akmal, Babar’s form is suffering from a few technological issues.
He has a propensity to reveal his leg stump early on since he is insecure about himself. The bat does not move in the direction of the ball, and balls that should be played towards cover are being played straight,” he stated.
