The former PCB chairman Ramiz Raja isn’t happy with the way Pakistan played in the recently concluded T20I series against New Zealand, which they lost 1-4. The 61-year-old raised concerns over the ‘strike-rate phobia’ that the team, and the think tank seems to be suffering with.
While speaking on his Youtube channel, Ramiz said, that the new players need to give themselves a chance to be able to up their strike-rates. “The phobia of strike rate that has gripped the think tank of this team is something I don’t understand. It’s not clear to me on what basis they have developed this fear of strike rate when you know that your options are limited. Even the new players don’t seem to understand that they need to give themselves a chance and develop a somewhat risk-free batting style to improve their strike rate, because good teams will put pressure on you and get you out,” Ramiz Raja was quoted as saying by Cricket Pakistan.
Ramiz reminded the team of basics — the role of partnerships in any format of the game. “Partnerships are a fundamental aspect, whether it is any format of the game, they remain the same. The benefit of partnerships is that playing intelligently, keeping the situation in mind, and assessing it is how players are made. In a way, in this circuit, game awareness is required, and you need to harness your potential to understand what you can or cannot do.” he said.
Also Read
Sarfaraz Khan makes strong case for IND vs ENG Test selection with impressive knock for India A
IND vs ENG 1st Test: 3 selection headaches for Rahul Dravid & Rohit Sharma
Mohammed Shami likely to miss entire IND vs ENG Test series, to consult specialist in UK
After SKY and Shami, BCCI to send Rishabh Pant abroad for special consultation on recovery
While he was all praise for Saim Ayub’s efforts, Ramiz questioned Azam Khan’s role in the team. “Saim Ayub is a great example in front of you, where he attempted to take off in the phase where he wasn’t scoring, he tried to change the game, but then his confidence shattered.
Azam Khan’s Role Not Defined
“Similarly, there’s Azam Khan; his role is not yet defined for me and I don’t understand whether he’s just hitting sixes in the middle order or if he needs to take his batting forward while keeping the situation in mind. These players are wasting their potential,” he concluded.
The post Ramiz Raja attacks Pakistan team think tank, says doesn’t understand ‘strike-rate phobia’ appeared first on Inside Sport India.