Fans, former players question ‘experimentation’ in crunch WC match

ISLAMABAD/KARACHI: Fans slammed Pakistan after a 76-run defeat to arch-rivals India in their opening World Cup match in Adelaide on Sunday, claiming their beloved team can´t bat, bowl or field.

Millions of Pakistanis across the country watched the match at home and in restaurants which had installed giant TV screens, but the defeat – the sixth in six World Cup meetings – frustrated them.

"I had huge excitement to watch this match which Pakistan has lost," said Farhat Irshad, 22 who came to watch the match in a restaurant in the capital Islamabad where up to 200 fans had gathered.

Irshad said she had a bet with her friends on a Pakistan win which she lost.

"Now I will have to arrange a party for them (her friends). I am really saddened but, whatever happens, we love our cricket team."

The defending champions made 300 for seven from their 50 overs after electing to bat. In reply, Pakistan were bowled out for 224 with skipper Misbah-ul-Haq top scoring with 76.

"We had a lot of expectations that Pakistan might change history as we have always lost to India in World Cups but they did not make it possible," added Irshad.

Another Islamabad native, Tahir Qureshi, 32, blamed everything for defeat: "Poor bowling, poor fielding and poor batting".

"They had no planning. They came to the ground with no planning on the batting order," Qureshi told AFP.

"Promoting Younis Khan as an opener was foolish – you saw the result (Younis made six)," Qureshi said. "The middle order batting completely failed."

Owais Ahmad, 20, an enthusiastic fan in Islamabad said he had been optimistic about Pakistan ending their World Cup drought against India. "But see what has happened," he told AFP.

‘Out-of-form Younis is a liability’

Out of form Younis Khan has become a liability for the team and should not have been a part of the World Cup squad, feels former Pakistan pacer Shoaib Akhtar.

“I just don t understand why Younis has been kept in the team. He is now more of a liability for the team,” the outspoken former pacer said while speaking to Geo News.

Shoaib further said that captain Misbah-ul-Haq should come out of his shell and should discipline his boys for playing rash shots.

“Misbah played well but he is a captain and he should tell and guide players… he should have scolded Ahmed Shehzad for playing rash shots and in the process jeopardizing team’s chances of winning,” he added.

‘Experimentation in India match is mind boggling’

Former Pakistan great Javed Miandad has written in his exclusive ICC column that it was nothing but a ‘mindboggling’ team selection that shocked millions of fans around the world.

“What’s the rocket science behind promoting Younis Khan as an opener?… What’s the logic of leaving out specialist wicketkeeper-batsman Sarfraz Ahmed when he could also bat aggressively,” wrote Miandad.

“It was like pushing the panic button before the start of an all important event like the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015,” he added.

“I do understand that Nasir Jamshed flew into Australia in place of injured Mohammad Hafeez at the last minute but was he there to prove himself in a warm up match against England or he was supposed to play in the World Cup?” questioned Miandad.