New Delhi, March 16 (NationPress) Former Pakistan wicketkeeper-batter Kamran Akmal has issued a harsh critique of the national cricket team following their loss to Bangladesh in the three-match ODI series. Under the captaincy of Shaheen Afridi, Pakistan ended the series with a disappointing 2-1 record after an 11-run defeat in the final match held in Dhaka on Sunday.

Entering the series without several key players, including Babar Azam and Fakhar Zaman, the team management opted to provide younger talents with a chance to shine. It was later disclosed that both players had been nursing injuries from the ICC Men's T20 World Cup. However, the relatively unseasoned squad faltered under pressure and was unable to capitalize on the opportunity presented to them.

In his reaction, Akmal expressed grave concerns about the current state of Pakistan cricket and criticized the apparent lack of accountability from the Pakistan Cricket Board.

“For heaven's sake, consider the future of Pakistan cricket. Just observe how far we've fallen. The Netherlands must be thinking that if they face Pakistan in a three-match ODI series, they could achieve Test status by defeating us. You've turned your cricket into a joke. It appears there's no concern among you,” Akmal stated during the ‘Game Plan’ show.

He further scrutinized the tactical choices made during the pivotal match, saying, “You lost the game. What kind of experiments are being conducted? It was a solid pitch. Why opt to bowl first? Why not bat? They might have scored 350 runs. Litton Das was cautious at the end, which is why Bangladesh was restricted to 290 runs. This was a series decider. If you can't win against teams like this, how do you expect to progress? Are you planning to steal the ICC trophy?”

Pakistan's challenges extend beyond this series in Bangladesh. The team also faced a frustrating campaign at the ICC Men's T20 World Cup, where they failed to reach the semi-finals. They lost their opening group-stage match against India and subsequently fell to England in the Super 8 stage. Their match against New Zealand was abandoned due to rain.

Even with a mathematical chance of advancing before their last Super 8 match against Sri Lanka, they needed to win by at least 65 runs to secure a spot in the semi-finals. Pakistan managed to win by five runs, but it was not enough to keep their hopes alive.

This exit marked the fourth consecutive ICC tournament in which Pakistan has failed to reach the semi-finals, intensifying scrutiny over the team’s performance and future direction.