Rashid Latif has fired an ultimatum to star Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan.© AFP

Several Pakistan cricket greats such as Wasim Akram and Javed Miandad praised Indian stars Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma for timing their retirement to perfection following the team’s triumph in the just-concluded T20 World Cup. India outwitted South Africa by seven runs in a topsy-turvy final at Barbados to lift their second T20 world title. “I have always been a fan of Rohit’s batting and try to follow him when matches are on TV. Kohli’s greatness is there for all to see his records speak for itself but Rohit I am happy that he could win the World Cup for his country,” yesteryear’s batting stalwart Zaheer Abbas said.

Javed Miandad, one of Pakistan’s greatest batters, said both the stalwarts had taken retirement at the right time.

“We will still see them in Test and 50-overs cricket but it is befitting for their career that they left T20 internationals in glory,” Miandad said.

He said both the players remained role models for any cricketing system.

“The discipline and professionalism and fitness of Kohli makes him a top role model to follow and his admirers will be as good as him as well,” he said.

Legendary pacer Waqar Younis said both Rohit and Kohli stood up for India in crunch situations and won matches for their country.

He also praised Jasprit Bumrah’s bowling throughout the World Cup and said he had become a pure match winner for India.

Rashid Latif said the credit of India’s success and the fact that they made three finals of the ICC events in the last one year suggested that their team management was in sync with the players.

“Rahul Dravid and his support team deserve a lot of credit for what India has achieved today. He has given a clear pathway to the Indian team and to the players,” Latif said.

Shahid Afridi said Rohit was an exceptional leader and Kohli had always been a big match performer.

“Both Rohit and Kohli have done the right thing to retire on a high after leading India to the World Cup title.” Mohsin Hasan Khan, the former Test batter, head coach and chief selector felt that Rohit and Kohli had set a very good example for young players.

“This is how you retire from any format in glory.” He said India now had the back-up talent in T20 cricket to fill in the gaps left by the retirements of Rohit and Kohli.

“But I am very impressed by the hunger of these two senior players, particularly the way Rohit led the side to finally win a World Cup.” Rohit’s five centuries in T20Is are unmatched and he now has two T20 World Cup titles, taking him to a league of his own.

Pakistan’s earlier-than-expected elimination from the ongoing T20 World Cup has paved the way for different conspiracy theories in the local media. From groupism to rift withing the senion members of the team, the local media has presented several concepts to suggest the reason behind the team’s disaster show in the Americas. While majority of the former players have entirely put the blame of the players, ex-captain Rashid Latif has time and time again highlighted the role PCB has played in the team’s downfall.

Earlier this week, Pakistan pacer Haris Rauf was confronted by a man on the streets of Miami, Florida. In a viral video, Haris had lost his cool at the man, who must’ve said something derrogatory to the player.

Angered by the action of the man, Haris was seen chasing the person to beat him. However, the people around them, including Haris’ wife, stopped the two doing anything stupid.

PCB also reacted to the whole episode, saying that they would take legal action against the man if he refuses to apologise to Haris.

Over the past few days, there have been rumours of spot fixing circulating in the media. Latif has now targetted the PCB for not addressing the match-fixing allegations that have been doing rounds on social media.

“Pakistan’s exclusion from the World Cup has caused the biggest loss to our electronic media, which includes news channels and sports broadcasters (broadcasting rights). Those who have the broadcast rights to show the match are expected to lose 30% to 35%. The ratings of the channels are also surprisingly low as the Pakistan team is back home and the news channels and sports channels are blaming the players and the team to keep themselves alive and the cricket board is a silent spectator. While in Haris Rauf’s case, Chairman PCB’s X message came immediately, but where a serious allegation like match-fixing was made, the entire legal department is silent and coincidentally, PCB’s CEO is a lawyer by profession. People are understanding that maybe it did not change the direction of the cannons to save itself?,” Latif wrote in a post on X.

pic.twitter.com/3MLSEcuqM8

— Rashid Latif | (@iRashidLatif68) June 21, 2024

Successive poor shows in the ODI World Cup 2023 and the 2024 T20 World Cup, has put a big question mark on the Babar Azam-led Pakistan. 

This time around the reaction to the exit is stronger because Pakistan started the tournament with an unexpected loss against debutants USA. 

Then they loss against India. The two losses proved to be Pakistan’s nemesis as they were knocked out despite winning their last two encounters.  

Former Pakistan captain Rashid Latif refused to mince his words while critcising the team after their earlier than expected elimination from the T20 World Cup. Pakistan failed to get out of the group for the first time in history of the tournament, finishing 3rd after losing to India and T20 World Cup debutants USA in Group A. Captain Babar Azam and the players have been on the receiving end of some harsh criticism from former Pakistan players, but Latif refused to entirely put the blame on the team.

Latif suggested while there is a lack of unity, following reports of groupism in the team, he thinks the issue lies within the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).

“If your turn the clock, go back in time, we played two World Cups, the one in Dubai (2021) and the one in Australia (2022), the team was almost the same, there have been 3, or maybe 4 changes this time around. The attitude seems to have changed this time around. Back in time, the Pakistan players were united. I have always said that there are plenty of players who want to play, but the ones who are supposed to make the players play properly are missing and there is a glaring scarcity,” Latif said on his YouTube channel.

Latif highlighted that the dressing room dynamics have been affected due to constant change in power within the PCB, adding that the players need a stable environment.

“The manner in which the dressing room feels and behaves, that is always the deciding factor. When there is a change in the higher authority/management, the coaching staff changes as well. It shouldn’t be like that, the dressing room should remain stable. All the cricket boards, especially the Test playing nations have prepared well for the T20 World Cup, except Pakistan. Education plays an important part that who is your chairman, who is he talking to,’ he added.

Apart from this, Pakistan coach Gary Kirsten‘s remark on lack of unity in the team also went viral.

Pakistan journalist Ihtisham Ul Haq quoted Gary Kirsten as saying: “There’s no unity in Pakistan’s team, They call it a team, but it isn’t a team. They aren’t supporting each other; everyone is separated, left and right. I’ve worked with many teams, but I’ve never seen such a situation”.

Following Pakistan’s earlier than expected exit from the T20 World Cup, reports have emerged that the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is likely to take some strict actions against the players. While some reports have claimed that the board is set to sack 8-9 players from the current squad, others suggested that the cricketers face the risk of having their central contracts reviewed and their salaries potentially reduced. Even PCB chief Mohsin Naqvi, after the loss the India, suggested that a “major surgery”, added that board might have to “look beyond” the current players in the squad.

“It seemed initially that a minor surgery would suffice but following the extremely poor performance against India, it is clear that a major surgery is necessary,” Naqvi said after Pakistan lost to India.

“Our performance is at its lowest. Improving the team’s performance is our biggest challenge. It is very disappointing the way we lost to the USA, and now, this loss isto India. We need to now start looking at players beyond those in the team right now,” he added.

However, former Pakistan captain Rashid Latif refused to put the entire blame on the players, adding that the PCB is equally responsible for the debacle.

“250 million Pakistanis have the right to know which selector voted in favour of which player. PCB should reveal the minutes of last meeting of the selection committee,” Latif retweeted a Pakistani journalist on X.

Latif suggested that all the PCB members need to be sacked, along with the governing body of the apex board.

“Before we shift blame to the players, first the PCB & its governing body needs to be sacked! They are the people responsible for selecting the players & management for this tour, and training them physically & mentally for the T20 WC! Heads must roll! But would they???” read another tweet that Latif reposted.

Last year, the then PCB chief Zaka Ashraf announced significant increase in player earnings, as well as a fixed share of revenue from the PCB’s earnings from the ICC.

Naqvi also had announced before the World Cup in USA and West Indies that each player would get a bonus payment of USD 100,000 if they win the tournament.

(With PTI Inputs)

Pakistan’s former players are not expecting the team to do well in the T20 World Cup starting in the Americas from Saturday. Pakistan lost a T20I in Ireland and then suffered a 0-2 defeat in England this week, not the ideal result before a global event. Before that, they drew 2-2 at home with a New Zealand side that was missing many of its World Cup squad members. “They are not getting their combination right, which is their biggest problem,” former captain Rashid Latif said.

He feels Pakistan need to not only shuffle their batting but make more use of their spinners.

“Not only shuffle, but players need to be prepared to play at floating roles now in T20 cricket as per the match situation,” he added.

The legendary Javed Miandad is banking on the unpredictability factor.

“They are unpredictable and always seem to do well in these T20 World Cups. But yes, they need to definitely improve in some areas quickly because, with a 20-team event, you can’t afford to relax even in one game,” he said.

Pakistan’s white-ball captain Babar Azam said in his post-match conference at the Oval that although it was disappointing to lose the series to England, the World Cup will be a different challenge.

“We have capable (and) talented players, and we will come good in the World Cup,” he said.

Many cricket fans are not happy with the selection or performance of Azam Khan, who was dismissed cheaply at the Oval and dropped two catches.

Azam, who has followed in the footsteps of his father, Moin Khan, as a wicketkeeper-batter, has been trolled mercilessly on social media since Thursday.

But it is not just Azam who has been a disappointment. All-rounder Shadab Khan has also been struggling for runs, as has Iftikhar Ahmed, who has failed to make any impact while batting down the order.

The bowlers also have been having too many of -days, with pacer Naseem Shah going for 25 in an over in the power play at The Oval, while Mohammad Amir conceded 28 in two overs.

Some officials in the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) are worried that if the team doesn’t reach the World Cup semi-finals, the fan base will take a big hit, which would not help the board in its preparations for the Champions Trophy next year.

“If the team does not perform well, it is no secret it has a big effect on the number of sponsors and broadcasters lining up to invest in Pakistan cricket,” an official said.

“I think Babar just needs to bat at number three, and they should make Saim (Ayub) or Fakhar (Zaman) open with Mohammad Rizwan,” suggested former player Basit Ali. PTI Corr AYG AH AH

Team India in action© BCCI