“Bring in New Team”: Wasim Akram Suggests Going for New Faces After Pakistan Lose to India

Former Pakistan captain Wasim Akram criticized the performance of the Pakistan cricket team after their defeat against India in the T20 World Cup 2024. Despite being bowled out for 119, India managed to secure a narrow victory, largely due to the impressive bowling display by Jasprit Bumrah and Hardik Pandya.

Akram expressed his frustration with the current state of Pakistani cricket and urged the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to take decisive action to address the team’s problems. He emphasized the need for significant changes, suggesting that it would be better to field a team of inexperienced players and support them through losses rather than persisting with seasoned cricketers who lack understanding of the game.

Asserting that enough is enough, Akram called for the introduction of six to seven new players and urged the PCB chairman to take bold steps. He highlighted issues within the team, such as communication problems and lack of cohesion, and questioned the team’s inability to chase a modest target of 120 runs on what he deemed as a favorable pitch.

Expressing disappointment with Pakistan’s performance, Akram stated that the team did not deserve to advance to the Super 8s stage of the T20 World Cup after their loss to India. With two defeats in their first two matches, Pakistan now faces the challenge of winning their remaining Group A matches to have any chance of progressing in the tournament.

Despite not losing many wickets early in their chase against India, Pakistan struggled to score runs as the innings progressed. Pandya and Bumrah capitalized on this, orchestrating a collapse that led to Pakistan’s downfall. Despite their efforts, Pakistan fell short once again, marking their second defeat in the tournament.