'You have destroyed this team:' Ramiz Raja lashes out at Pakistan after series loss to England

Pakistan lost the four-match T20I series against England by 2-0, with two games washed out due to incessant rain. It was Pakistan’s last assignment before the T20 World Cup 2024, for they don’t have any warmup games and start directly in the main event.

While they expected to fine-tune their preparations and get their combinations for the tournament, Pakistan have instead messed themselves up and now have more questions than answers by the end of the series. They tried different things across the two games but hardly got anything substantial in return.

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Pakistan opened with Saim Ayub and Mohammad Rizwan, with Babar Azam at No.3 in the second encounter, but the move didn’t work, and they slotted Azam back to the opening position in the fourth game. Talking on his YouTube channel, former Pakistani cricketer and chairman Ramiz Raja urged the management to get out of the experiment mode and the strike rate phobia.

“First of all, get out of the experimental mode. Go with the proper combination, and for God’s sake, please come out of the strike rate phobia because Pakistan doesn’t have players of that standard to ruin the team based on strike rate. You have destroyed this team by changing the opening combination.”

There is no role defined in the middle order: Ramiz Raja

Adding to his point, Ramiz Raja also pointed out the lacklustre performances of Pakistan’s middle-order batters, stating the management hasn’t defined any role for them. He also criticised the decision to bench Imad Wasim for the fourth T20I, who took two wickets and scored a vital 22 runs in the lower order earlier in the series.

“There is no role defined in the middle order. All-rounders are included in the middle order and two wicketkeepers are playing, fast bowlers keep changing, and Pakistan's spinners don’t spin the ball. There is no confidence. Imad Wasim does well then you make him sit out. There is no sideways movement from players.”

Ramiz also threw his weight behind opening with Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan since Pakistan shuffled Babar’s position in the second T20I to accommodate Saim Ayub, who can score quicker than the other two players and utilise the powerplay overs. He also opined Pakistan to look for an all-rounder or a specialist middle-order batter in the place of Azam Khan, who was tepid with the bat and gloves in the England series.

"Babar and Rizwan’s pair is very important for Pakistan, and the way Pakistan batted against England, they proved it as well. You have to reunite this opening pair because it’s Pakistan’s strength. By focusing on strike rates, you are ignoring the value of partnerships. Babar and Rizwan have to open, it’s a safety [option], a tried and tested combination as well. Let Rizwan do wicketkeeping and open with him as well. Babar should be his opening partner. You can play an extra all-rounder in Azam Khan’s place or go with a specialist batter."

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