Ramiz Raja slams Pakistan for putting players on trial before T20 World Cup

Former PCB chief Ramiz Raja has criticized the Pakistan selectors for delaying the announcement of the squad for the T20 World Cup, making Pakistan the only team among 20 yet to do so.

Pakistan will be announcing their squad after the first T20I against England on May 22.

Teams have the flexibility to tweak their squads until May 25, with any alterations beyond that date requiring approval from the event's technical committee.

Expressing his frustration on his YouTube channel, Raja questioned why Pakistan seemed indecisive, unable to settle on combinations and still in the process of assessing players' potential.

"Pakistan is the only team that has yet to announce its squad for the T20 World Cup. Out of 20 teams, 19 have announced their squads. I don't understand where Pakistan are stuck," Ramiz said on his YouTube channel.

He remarked that it felt as if every player was being put through a trial phase, leading to uncertainty and pressure, especially evident in the performances of certain bowlers like Hasan Ali and Mohammad Amir.

"They can't handle the combinations. They are still trying to read the potential. All players are on trial. It feels like every player is on trial," he said.

"Some bowlers look under pressure. Hasan Ali had a bad outing, and Mohammad Amir's performance was flat. What is the role of Abbas Afridi? He looks like Saim Ayub, a lost cause. You need to announce the World Cup squad quickly because not each player can be on trial," he added.

It is worth noting that the Men in Green secured a 2-1 victory in the three-match T20I series against Ireland. This victory is significant as it marks Pakistan's first bilateral T20I series win since December 2021, when they defeated West Indies.