Three players to blame for defeats, says Hafeez

LAHORE: Former Pakistan captain Mohammad Hafeez has criticised three players for their roles in Pakistan’s disappointing performance in the ongoing T20 World Cup 2024.

In an interview with a private channel, Hafeez claimed that the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) brought back three players who had previously refused to represent the national team.

While Hafeez did not name the players, it is widely speculated that he was referring to Mohammad Amir, Imad Wasim, and Haris Rauf. Hafeez noted that these players had chosen to participate in global league tournaments instead of playing domestic cricket during his tenure in the domestic circuit.

“It’s disappointing to see players who turned their backs on domestic cricket and prioritised global leagues being brought back into the national team,” Hafeez stated. He pointed out that both Amir and Imad reversed their retirements just months before the T20 World Cup 2024, while Haris Rauf had been dropped from the central contract list after opting out of a Test series.

Hafeez argued that the PCB’s decision to reintegrate these players sets a bad precedent for those who consistently perform in domestic cricket.

­He specifically mentioned all-rounder Kamran Ghulam, who had been performing well domestically but was overlooked for the World Cup squad.

“Kamran Ghulam has shown great promise and performance in domestic cricket, yet he was not given the opportunity to represent Pakistan. This sends the wrong message to other dedicated domestic players,” Hafeez added.

The former all-rounder’s comments come in the wake of Pakistan’s back-to-back defeats against the United States and India. In their first match, Pakistan were stunned by the USA in Dallas, and in New York, they failed to chase a modest target of 120 set by archrivals India.