Raja slams Pakistan’s bowling attack

Former Pakistan cricketer Ramiz Raja has criticised the bowling attack employed by the Men in Green in the One-day International (ODI) series against Sri Lanka in Karachi.

While speaking in a Youtube video, the famous commentator said that Pakistan cannot progress in ODIs with makeshift bowlers.

“If you rely on makeshift bowlers like Iftikhar and Nawaz to bowl during the middle of the innings, you will not be able to win a lot of matches,” said Raja. “It might work if you have put a big score on the board. However, if you are bowling first, then you will struggle to win with this attack as Shadab is not in form either.”

The 57-year-old believes that Pakistan missed an ideal opportunity to test some new bowlers.

“There is a need to experiment and I feel this new management missed a trick by not experimenting with youngsters against a second-string Sri Lanka side” he said. “Pakistan will have to reconsider their bowling options.  They need to identify young bowlers with talent and prepare them for the next World Cup from now.”

“Pakistan will have to do away with bowlers above the age of 30,” he added.

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Former cricketer was full of praise for the Pakistan batting and picked opener Abid Ali and middle-order batsmen Babar Azam and Haris Sohail as the bright spots of the series.

“Whenever Abid gets a chance, he makes it count. It is very difficult to wait in the wings and perform as soon as you get an opportunity, so you have to appreciate Abid’s performance,” he said. “Haris played a crucial knock. He played a very sensible inning and if he had not scored fifty in the third ODI, then Pakistan would have been in trouble.”