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Pace legend Shoaib Akhtar slammed the Pakistan batters after their dismal performance in a three-match series decider against the West Indies in Trinidad on Tuesday as they suffered one of their worst ODI defeats in 50 years. Chasing a 295-run target in a bid to win the series, skipper Muhammad Rizwan and Co. were subject to a horrendous batting collapse as three of the top four batters succumbed to ducks.
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The chase barely got going thereafter as West Indies pace sensation Jayden Seales rippped apart the batting order with sensational figures of 6/18, the best-ever by any bowler in an ODI against Pakistan, eclipsing South Africa legend Dale Steyn’s 6/39 against them in 2013.
“We used to have expressive and explosive talent, and we played like that. We were never dependent on one individual — everyone chipped in,” Akhtar said on the Game On Hai show.
“No one used to look for escape routes. The environment has changed, and in the last 10–15 years, everyone has started playing for themselves. Everyone is playing for their averages. The intent should be to win matches for your country.”
Akhtar called for an immediate overhaul in the mindset of the limited-overs side and also highlighted the technical deficiences crippling the top-order batters.
“We need to change the intent, the mindset, and create that atmosphere. You need to play according to modern cricket. How hard is that to understand?” he added.
“Halka sa seam hota hai toh musibat pad jaati hai (The ball moves a bit and they are in trouble),” he noted. “Rawalpindi pitch lekar nahi ghoom sakte (You can’t carry Pindi pitches everywhere).”
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The Men in Green will return to action in a tri-series involving Afghanistan and the United Arab Emirates, starting August 29, in a bid to firm up preparations for the Asia Cup T20 that will begin in the UAE in September.
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