Review of http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Pakistan-c755’s performance in the ICC World T20 2012 - Part Three
Continued from the previous part…
Overall, it was a satisfactory performance on part of the Green Shirts in the mega event as they proved once again to be one of the best T20 sides of the world by qualifying for the fourth-straight semi-final appearance in the World T20s.
However, their unpredictable nature was on show once again as they snatched victory from oppositions’ jaws in a couple of encounters but looked totally off-colour in two of their most important matches, against India in the Super 8s and versus the home team
in the semi-final.
In the game’s shortest format, Pakistan heavily rely on the former captain, http://www.senore.com/Cricket/England-c56013, being named as the Player of the Match in the semi-final and the
final.
Boom Boom was completely out of form in the recently-concluded tournament, picking up just four wickets in the six matches with an economy-rate of 7.12 runs per over, which is a touch high for a bowler of Afridi’s calibre. To make matters worse, he failed
to contribute with the bat as well, scoring only 30 runs in six innings, including a couple of ducks.
Some of the former players have slammed Afridi’s performances and have asked him to call it a day from international sport, as they believe that the all-rounder has gone past his best.
http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Aaqib-Javed-c41431, the former Test fast bowler and ex-bowling coach, criticized the selection committee for persisting with the experienced cricketer on the basis of reputation merely. He further added that Afridi should have retired from the game after the ICC
Cricket World Cup 2011, where the all-rounder led the Green Shirts to the semi-finals.
The UAE coach also slammed http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Bangladesh-c747 bowling attack on flat batting conditions at Pallekele.
"I don't know why these players don't show the sportsmanship and walk away themselves as he should have gone after Mohali semi-final [in the 2011 World Cup] against http://www.senore.com/Cricket/India-c750", Aaqib said about the former captain. "He had scored fastest hundred 16 years back,
it's the past and it has nothing to do with the present. I don't understand why Imran Nazir is still there despite previous several unsuccessful comebacks and this is yet another one."
Some of the other senior players like http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Umar-Gul-c94604 also failed to make an impression in the competition as they, being the seasoned cricketers, were expected to take the responsibility on their shoulders.
Another ex-cricketer, Sikandar Bakht advised the selection committee to get rid of these cricketers permanently and groom youngsters for the future endeavors.
"It’s time for a change and drop http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Imran-c64193, Afridi, Kamran Akmal, Shoaib Malik, and ensure they don't come back again," Sikandar expressed.
Malik and Kamran looked good on occasions but failed to convert their starts into big knocks. Their match-winning partnership in the warm-up fixture against India at Colombo was quite heartening but both of them struggled to play the
role of a reliable middle-order batsman.
One of the most experienced cricketers in the squad, http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Abdul-Razzaq-c41623, failed to gain the team management’s confidence as the all-rounder was not picked in the playing-11 for most of the matches.
To be continued…
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