‘Does Salman Deserve To Be There?’: Shoiab Akhtar Bashes Pakistan Captain, Calls Him ‘Weakest Link’ | Cricket News

Shoaib Akhtar slams Pakistan team management after defeat against India in Super 4

India hammered Pakistan, on Sunday, for the second time in the past two weeks in the ongoing Asia Cup. The arch-rivals squared off in their first Super 4 clash in Dubai where the men in blue excelled with a 6-wicket win, extending their undefeated feat in the tournament.

Pakistan batted better than what they exhibited in the previous encounter against India last week. However, a blistering start given by Abhishek Sharma and Shubman Gill broke the back of Pakistan’s attack. Though Salman Agha’s bowlers managed a few breakthroughs in the middle over, they failed to latch on the momentum. India chased down the 172-run target with 7 balls to spare, inching close to the Asia Cup final.

Pakistan’s second loss in the tournament, both against India, left the country’s cricket fraternity fuming. Former pacer Shoaib Akhtar slammed team selection as well as the captain’s role, opining that the team looked completely clueless on Sunday night.

“I really don’t understand what the management is thinking. Wrong decisions are being made repeatedly. The middle order isn’t planned properly, and the powerplay isn’t being utilized effectively,” Akhtar told Tapamad.

“Bowlers are also not being used wisely. There was no coordination, the lines and lengths were poor—starting with a bad bouncer, and then things just kept getting worse,” he added.

Akhtar bashed Salman Ali Agha’s leadership, bashing him for his batting failures and wrong decisions.

“Salman ko khud nahi pata wo kya kaptaani kar raha hai (Salman himself doesn’t know what he’s been doing). He is the weakest link. Does he even deserve the spot he is playing at? What does he do?

He could be good boy but what does he produce? Does he perform like Tilka Varma or Hardik Pandya? On top of that, he takes wrong decisions that further put the team in trouble,” Akhtar said.

Akhtar further accused the management of ignoring match-winners and trusting those who don’t contribute much in the team’s victory.

“Players who can actually win matches for Pakistan—like Hasan Nawaz or Wasim Junior—are left out. Instead, players who neither justify their position nor contribute meaningfully are given opportunities,” Akhtar said.

“The team is paying the price for the captain and management’s repeated mistakes. And all the blame, ultimately, lies with the management,” he added.