Pakistan’s loss to Zimbabwe no surprise to Aamir

Published August 28, 2013
"Our balance in fast bowling was not right with just two fast bowlers in the playing XI," the former left-handed opener said. -File Photo
"Our balance in fast bowling was not right with just two fast bowlers in the playing XI," the former left-handed opener said. -File Photo

KARACHI: Former captain Aamir Sohail said on Tuesday he was not surprised with Pakistan’s seven-wicket defeat at the hands of Zimbabwe in the opening One-day International in Harare.

“Until and unless we strengthen our club cricket and re-organise it, we will be facing such problems in future,” Aamir said while recording his comments on Pakistan’s stunning loss to Zimbabwe, one of the weakest teams in world cricket.

“Our fielding was not up to the mark and we did not attack during Zimbabwe batting, never saw close-in fielders,” the former left-handed opener noted.

Our balance in fast bowling was not right with just two fast bowlers in the playing XI. You cannot just run in to bowl for winning, but a well planned-out attacking approach is needed to win matches.

“Hafeez is not our front line bowler. You needed specialist bowlers. You cannot also depend on the bowling of Umar Amin.

“Until and unless we revive and strengthen club cricket we cannot improve our system,” he said.

He said the regional, district associations and zones were violating Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) constitution by not organising at least two club-level events. “Neither are the PCB officials doing anything nor is the PCB chief operating officer asking them anything,” he commented.

“In such a scenario, how can domestic cricket be improved and help us produce better players,” he said.

“All PCB, regional, district and zonal officials should be ousted, who have done nothing for the betterment of club cricket,” he remarked.

Contributions by APP.

Opinion

Editorial

Ties with Tehran
Updated 24 Apr, 2024

Ties with Tehran

Tomorrow, if ties between Washington and Beijing nosedive, and the US asks Pakistan to reconsider CPEC, will we comply?
Working together
24 Apr, 2024

Working together

PAKISTAN’S democracy seems adrift, and no one understands this better than our politicians. The system has gone...
Farmers’ anxiety
24 Apr, 2024

Farmers’ anxiety

WHEAT prices in Punjab have plummeted far below the minimum support price owing to a bumper harvest, reckless...
By-election trends
Updated 23 Apr, 2024

By-election trends

Unless the culture of violence and rigging is rooted out, the credibility of the electoral process in Pakistan will continue to remain under a cloud.
Privatising PIA
23 Apr, 2024

Privatising PIA

FINANCE Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb’s reaffirmation that the process of disinvestment of the loss-making national...
Suffering in captivity
23 Apr, 2024

Suffering in captivity

YET another animal — a lioness — is critically ill at the Karachi Zoo. The feline, emaciated and barely able to...