Former Pakistan skipper, Wasim Akram, on Sunday, told his compatriots they had to win the next game in their World Cup campaign or get ready for an early flight home.
Pakistan have had a miserable start to the tournament, being well beaten in their opening two group matches. Their 76-run defeat by arch-rivals and defending champions India was followed by an even heavier 150-run loss to the West Indies in Christchurch on Saturday.
"I am very optimistic that they can win but if they don't they have to go back home early," Wasim told AFP. "They must feel for the people who come to the ground in numbers and the millions watching back home." Pakistan next face Zimbabwe in a must-win Pool B game on March 1, which Wasim warned will be a "make or break" for them. The top four in each of
the two pools of seven will qualify for the quarter-finals.
Wasim also criticised the team management and captain Misbah-ul Haq for not playing five bowlers. "I have been screaming this for several months now but they are playing with four bowlers and weakening their strong point," said Wasim, widely regarded as the greatest left-arm paceman cricket has ever seen. "We are using an extra batsman and yet we are unable to chase. It's disappointing and will land Pakistan in more trouble. They must rebuild the team soon," he said.
Pakistan dropped leg-spinner Yasir Shah, who played against India in Adelaide, from the XI that took the field against the West Indies and conceded a total of 310 for six at Christchurch's Hagley Oval. If that wasn't enough, Pakistan then recorded the worst-ever start to an innings in all one-day internationals, with their first four wickets falling for just one run before getting bowled out for a mere 150 in 39 overs.
Wasim said the West Indies' resilience was an example for Pakistan to follow. "West Indies lost their first game (against Ireland) but they staged a comeback and outplayed Pakistan in all aspects of the game," said Wasim, who was also scathing in his assessment of opener Nasir Jamshed. "When Jamshed was dismissed for a duck in the warm-up game against England, then there was no need to recall him," said Wasim of the left-hander who was out for a second-ball nought on Saturday.
Jamshed was brought in as a replacement for Mohammad Hafeez after the spin-bowling all-rounder was ruled out of the World Cup with a calf injury just a week before the start of the tournament. "In the first place, Jamshed never merited selection in the team as there were some other players who had done well at domestic level," Wasim summed up.
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