Akhtar criticises Pak after SL Test defeat
13 Aug 2014 5:02 AM IST
Former Pakistan bowler Shoaib Akhtar has said the players in the present national team need to show more heart and courage if they are to bounce back against Sri Lanka in the ongoing series. Akhtar was critical of the team’s performance in the first test which Pakistan lost on Sunday after being bowled out cheaply within a day at Galle.
‘It was abject surrender and our players showed no heart, courage or a positive mindset. If they don’t work on these things they can’t bounce against Sri Lanka,’ he said. The fast bowler said it was a fact that Pakistan presently lacked quality world class players. ‘It is a fact and what is worrisome is we don’t have much quality talent coming through from domestic cricket at the moment.
In such circumstances the players need to put in a huge collective effort to do well and that was missing on Sunday against Sri Lanka,’ he said. Pakistan lost the first Test in an exciting finish only the 11th time in Test history that a team has lost a match after posting 450 plus in their first innings.
Akhtar pointed out at present Pakistan had no batsmen equal to the calibre of Sangakkara or Jayawardene with exception of Younis Khan. ‘We don’t even have a player of the calibre of Matthews who understands the game and plays according to the situation,’ the former fast bowler said.
‘It was abject surrender and our players showed no heart, courage or a positive mindset. If they don’t work on these things they can’t bounce against Sri Lanka,’ he said. The fast bowler said it was a fact that Pakistan presently lacked quality world class players. ‘It is a fact and what is worrisome is we don’t have much quality talent coming through from domestic cricket at the moment.
In such circumstances the players need to put in a huge collective effort to do well and that was missing on Sunday against Sri Lanka,’ he said. Pakistan lost the first Test in an exciting finish only the 11th time in Test history that a team has lost a match after posting 450 plus in their first innings.
Akhtar pointed out at present Pakistan had no batsmen equal to the calibre of Sangakkara or Jayawardene with exception of Younis Khan. ‘We don’t even have a player of the calibre of Matthews who understands the game and plays according to the situation,’ the former fast bowler said.
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