islamabad( The COW News Digital)Former Pakistan fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar has come down hard on the national cricket team’s performance following their one-sided defeat to India in the Asia Cup Super Four clash. Speaking on a television show after the match, Akhtar minced no words, saying that even a target of 200 runs would not have been enough for Pakistan to defend with their current bowling attack.
“If Pakistan had 200 runs on the board, even then the bowlers wouldn’t have been able to defend it,” Akhtar said. “If Faheem Ashraf was going to bowl, he should have been given the new ball. Had he replaced Saim Ayub earlier, he could have been more effective.”
The Rawalpindi Express was particularly critical of the decision-making regarding the use of bowlers. “Abrar Ahmed is your main bowler, yet you bring on part-timer Saim Ayub before him. This shows the lack of confidence and planning in the bowling unit. The attack simply wasn’t capable of putting pressure on the Indian batters.”
Akhtar pointed out that Haris Rauf failed to dismiss even a single batter, adding that most of India’s wickets came through mistakes rather than good bowling. “Indian batters gifted Pakistan their wickets. Suryakumar Yadav played a poor shot and got out, otherwise this match wouldn’t even have gone that far,” he remarked.
The former pacer also drew attention to India’s playing XI, suggesting they were not even at full strength. “Just imagine, India didn’t even have KL Rahul in this game — a player who consistently punishes bowlers. He should have been playing instead of Sanju Samson. Samson was India’s weak link, and that’s why the match stretched till the 19th over,” Akhtar said.
Akhtar credited Abhishek Sharma for his aggressive start, claiming that if he had stayed longer at the crease, the game would have been over much earlier. “If Abhishek had stayed a bit longer, the match would have finished five overs earlier. His dismissal was the only reason this game lasted until the 19th over.”
Akhtar’s sharp comments underline growing concerns about Pakistan’s bowling depth and team selection, which have been major talking points among fans and analysts following the loss. With crucial matches still to come, pressure is now mounting on the team management to reassess their strategies and improve performances in the remainder of the tournament.
