Akhtar slams Misbah, Malik for team’s poor show in ODIs Wednesday, 22 February 2012 22:07

KARACHI: Former Pakistan fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar has blasted the performance of the national team in the one-day series, singling out captain Misbah-ul-Haq and all-rounder Shoaib Malik for scathing criticism.

Shoaib said that the Pakistan team needed to review its selection policy for one-day and T20 matches as there was no longer any place for players like Malik.

“He has been playing for around 12 years and he has accomplished nothing big. He and some other players who used to wait for hours to meet with the then Board Chairman Nasim Ashraf were rewarded,” he said.

Shoaib claimed that Malik had indulged in politics and intrigues in the team being responsible for the ouster of senior all-rounder Abdul Razzaq. “He even targeted Shahid Afridi and wanted him to be sent home. At one stage manager Talat Ali was prepared to send Afridi home but we all took a stand and said this would not happen,” he recalled.

Shoaib said that it was unfortunate that Malik was still being played at the expenses of more deserving younger players.

“Azhar Ali and Asad Shafiq batted well today within their limitations. But the fact is that we need to blood attacking players in our one-day and T20 teams. What is most surprising is that Pakistan which is famous for producing pace bowlers is today struggling in this department. The former pacer said that the current crop of pacers had done nothing of note for a while now and even in the series against England .

“We need to find new fast bowlers or else we will find it difficult to even bowl out Bangladesh.”

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