Wasim Akram Tears Pakistan Apart After Loss To India, Says ‘Rizwan Has No Game Awareness, Make Them Sit At Home’

New York: Legendary Pakistan fast bowler Wasim Akram minced no words for the Men in Green after the Babar Azam-led side lost to India by a narrow six runs on Sunday to be on the verge of elimination from the group stage in the ongoing T20 World Cup 2024. Chasing India’s 119 all out, Pakistan were in the driver’s seat at one point, needing 48 runs in as many ball with eight wickets in hand. However, the pace combination of the ever-effective Jasprit Bumrah (3/14) and Hardik Pandya (2/24) brought India back from the dead with incisive spells that saw Pakistan lose wickets in a heap to end at 113/7.

Akram, who is a part of the commentary panel in the T20 World Cup 2024, minced no words as he tore apart the Pakistan side and demanded a complete change in the side. He was brutal especially against the likes of Mohammad Rizwan, Iftikhar Ahmed and Fakhar Zaman for lack of game awareness.

“They have been playing cricket for 10 years, and I can’t teach them. Rizwan has no game awareness. He should have known that Bumrah was given the ball to take wickets and that the wise thing would have been to play his deliveries cautiously. But Rizwan went for a big shot and lost his wicket,” Akram said.

“Iftikhar Ahmed knows one shot on the leg side. He has been a part of the team for years but doesn’t know how to bat. I can’t go and tell about the game awareness to Fakhar Zaman. Pakistani players think that if they don’t perform well, the coaches will be sacked, and nothing will happen to them.

“It is time to keep the coaches and change the entire team,” added the 1992 World Cup winner. Although Akram didn’t name certain players but the 58-year-old exposed the relation between Babar Azam and Shaheen Shah Afridi. According to Akram, both Babar and Afridi aren’t on talking terms after the later was replaced as white-ball captain by the opener.

“There are players who don’t want to talk to each other. This is international cricket, and you play for your country. Make these players sit at home,” he added.