“Rawalpindi pitch lekar nahi ghoom sakte” - Shoaib Akhtar slams Pakistan batters for their horrible display in 3rd ODI vs WI

Pakistan suffered a humiliating defeat in the third and final ODI against West Indies, getting bowled out for just 92 runs while chasing 295. They lost the match by 202 runs and also the series. This was Pakistan’s first ODI series loss to the West Indies in 34 years.

Former Pakistan pacer Shoaib Akhtar slammed the batters for their poor show. Speaking on the Game On Hai show, Akhtar said: “We used to have expressive and explosive talent, and we played like that. We were never dependent on one individual — everyone chipped in,” as quoted by The Times of India.

He further added: “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 stressed there is an urgent need to change the intent, mindset, and atmosphere in the team. “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 said.

In Pakistan’s innings of 92 runs, three of the top four batters got ducks. Saim Ayub faced three balls without scoring, Abdullah Shafique had an eight-ball duck, and captain Mohammad Rizwan fell for a golden duck. Veteran batter Babar Azam also failed, making just nine runs off 23 balls.

“Halka sa seam hota hai toh musibat pad jaati hai” - Akhtar

Akhtar also made a bold claim that Pakistan’s batters need both technical and environmental changes.

“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).”

Pakistan’s next challenge will be a tri-series featuring Afghanistan and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) from August 29. It will serve as good preparation for the upcoming Asia Cup.

As for the West Indies, they will play a three-match T20I series against Nepal next month before touring India for a two-match Test series.

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