Former cricketer Ramiz Raja has lashed out at Pakistan’s batting for their poor show as they lost to England by seven wickets in the fourth and final T20I in London on Thursday. The veteran added that Pakistan don’t have players who can play an aggressive brand of cricket. He
also shared his dissent with many experiments in the batting department as well.

Ramiz Raja said on his YouTube channel: “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. 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 Raja further added that Pakistan should stick to Mohammad Rizwan and Babar Azam as their opening pair as well. He also suggested that Rizwan should play as a wicketkeeper and under-fire Azam Khan should also be removed.

“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,” he added.

“Azam Khan’s batting against pace is weak. His strike rate against spin is good, but against pace, he doesn’t play well against short balls. You saw how extreme pace troubled him. He needs to work a lot on his batting against pace. Iftikhar Ahmed scores 20s and gets out. He is used as a finisher but doesn’t do that, neither in the first or the second innings. Similarly, Fakhar [Zaman] is a hit-and-miss,” he again shared.

“The middle order was a flop show that led to the lack of runs and we lost the plot. Imad Wasim should be picked in all games. If you have to bench Shadab, do it. You can play Saim Ayub in the middle order because Shadab is not fit at No.5. If a proper batter comes in, it will bring some stability in the middle order. Shadab Khan in middle order? What is his role, I don’t get it. At No.5, he is out of touch and out of form. His ideal batting position should be No.7. He tries to play like a slogger,” Ramiz Raja concluded.