Social media less, focus on cricket more: Raja advises Pakistan team

Former Pakistan cricketer, Ramiz Raja, has advised the Pakistan cricket team to focus more on cricket and less on social media. He made this statement after the team's loss against New Zealand in the ongoing five-match T20I series.

While speaking on his YouTube channel, Raja pointed out that New Zealand's consistent and impressive performance is in stark contrast to Pakistan's struggle to maintain focus and form. He emphasized that Pakistan cannot afford to continuously lose back-to-back games, especially at this stage.

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"Cricket is a great leveller, and we must learn from our recent loss. Even though the team may have enjoyed Sheer Khourma during Eid holidays and were in a relaxed atmosphere, we cannot rely on reputation alone to win matches. We must remain focused, with less emphasis on social media and more on cricket. Ultimately, our performances on the field will determine our success," he said.

"New Zealand's consistent and impressive performance stands in contrast to Pakistan's struggle to maintain their focus and form, as evidenced by their loss of momentum after winning the first two games," he added.

The former PCB chairman, also noted that such setbacks are not new for the Pakistan team, as they have faced similar challenges in the past, such as in the previous edition of the Asia Cup and the seven-match T20I series against England.

"This is not a new trend for the Pakistan team, as they have experienced similar setbacks in tournaments such as the previous edition of the Asia Cup where they faced defeat against Sri Lanka in the first pool match and were also defeated in the finals as well, and also the seven-match T20I series against England where Pakistan ended up being the ones defeated by 3-4," said Ramiz.

The 60-year-old emphasized that while mistakes may be acceptable in the first game, there is no margin for error in the second game. He further urged the Pakistan team to maintain their focus and form if they aim to remain competitive as a top team.

"As a top team, Pakistan cannot afford to continuously lose back-to-back games, especially at this stage. While mistakes may be excused in the first game, there is no room for error in the second game, and the team must maintain their focus and form if they wish to remain competitive," he concluded.