Former Pakistani cricketers thrash PCB, Shahid Afridi for Lord’s defeat against http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Australia-c746
Just like the shocked fans, former Pakistani cricketers were left stunned at the way the Pakistan cricket team gifted the Lord’s Test to Australia.
http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Pakistan-c755 in the 80s and was one of the most reliable wicketkeepers to have donned the gloves, blamed the Pakistan Cricket Board for appointing Shahid Afridi as the skipper. “He was not ready for captaincy, yet he was made the skipper for the crucial tour of England where Pakistan plays as many as 6 test matches.” He asked the board to recall senior cricketers and keep the juniors for the future, and it is their absence that resulted in the defeat. “Lord’s is the home of cricket and by fielding a side that has no renowned batsmen, the management made a grave error. I believe that Pakistan lost the match when their team was bowled out for 148 in the first innings, because had they scored more, the result might have been different.”
Former Pakistan captain Saleem Malik felt Australia played well and outclassed Pakistan. Shahid Afridi seemed in control when the bowlers were bowling, but the players threw away their wickets when they were asked to chase 440. “http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Shahid-Afridi-c2482 shouldn’t be blamed because he had retired from test cricket in 2006,” Malik told local TV channels. “He had no intention of returning to the five-day format and it was only on the insistence of the board that he decided to give it a try. The board was at fault here, not Afridi.”
Former chief selector and leg-spin great Abdul Qadir also felt the management was to be blamed. “Every team has a priority for team selection; they select the seniors first and then go for the youngsters. Sadly, in Pakistan, it is the other way around. Here we drop senior players like http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Yasir-Hameed-c2811 and Shoaib Malik and give a chance to newcomers Azhar Ali and Umar Amin, which is a gamble of sorts. Pakistan should have played Shoaib Malik, who could have strengthened the bowling as well as the batting.”
Qadir claimed Pakistan cricket needs a revamp as there is no way that the current management and set-up can be trusted with a revival. “I appeal to the Patron-in-Chief of the Pakistan Cricket Board, President Asif Zardari, to step in and appoint people who are sincere to the game and its well-being, unlike the people in the current setup.”
Former captain http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Zaheer-Abbas-c98435, who is the only Pakistani to score more than 100 centuries in first class cricket, feels Pakistan went into the match with a negative mindset. “What was the use of playing with a batting line-up that wasn’t even strong on paper”, Zaheer argued. “No doubt Pakistan needs young blood but what about those cricketers who have been instrumental in winning matches for the country?”
Zaheer was also shocked on Shahid Afridi’s decision to retire from test cricket. “Why did he take up the job if he wasn’t up to it?” he asked. “I was with a friend in England when I heard on radio that Afridi is pondering on retiring from Test cricket for the third time and it felt awkward. He was entrusted to keep the players united and just after one match he is going away as if he has conceded defeat!”
http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Danish-Kaneria-c1314 is playing as a specialist? Shahid Afridi might be a good bowler in One-Dayers and Twenty20 Internationals, yet he is not test material. By accepting the captaincy, he degraded test cricket since he must have known in his heart that he was not up to the test standard. He even failed to bat sensibly when he was required to, and Pakistan can do away with such childish antics.”
The bowler, who took 9 wickets for 86 runs against Australia in Melbourne in the late 70s, feels that the Australians bowled well to restrict Pakistan in the 1st innings for 148. “The Pakistanis should have learnt a thing or two from disciplined Aussies, yet they failed to and paid the price by ultimately losing the match by 150 runs.”
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