Pakistan's consecutive ODI series losses are being equated to a lack of willingness to improve
HYDERABAD: The Cricket World Cup 2019 is just around the corner, yet the national cricket team seems to be ill-prepared as it was whitewashed by the Australian team in the recent ODI series played in the UAE. Australia sealed an easy 5-0 win after Pakistan’s cricket team failed to put up a fight in the series.
Our players performed poorly in all fields. The performance of our batsmen, with the exception of a few, was the worst as they were not even able to stay at the crease to chase the target. The bowlers too failed to defend the target. The performance of some senior players such as Shoaib Malik left both critics and fans disappointed. After the series, the general opinion amongst the public is that people who play street cricket could have performed better than our international team. The consecutive losses in ODI series are even being equated to a lack of willingness to improve.
Even though winning and losing is part of the game, the fight and determination of the team till the last ball is what makes the game interesting to watch. However, the team’s hopeless loss made for an increasingly frustrating sight. It would be very surprising if the team had decided to relax in its performances before making a comeback in the World Cup, but such a thought seems to be nothing but wishful thinking. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) should take immediate notice of the situation and conduct an investigation regarding the reasons behind the debacle in the UAE. The PCB should also remove players who did not perform well and bring in other players to create a strong squad for the upcoming world cup in England and Wales.
Imtiaz Junejo
Published in The Express Tribune, April 3rd, 2019.
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