Cricket analysis

Irrespective of whether Pakistan wins or loses today’s cricket match against India, the bitter reality is that the team lacks consistency, discipline, commitment, strategy and leadership. No team can expect to win unless it has the capacity to field properly and take catches with consistent scoring by key batsman and lower and middle order capable to score in double figures. With the exception of a few intelligent bowlers who vary speed or maintain length, the rest are predictable. The Captain has failed to play a single skipper’s inning. The PCB failed to maintain administrative control by succumbing to players’ demands by allowing their families to accompany for World Cup.

There is also no justification for the chief selector to accompany team, once the squad has been selected. A lot has changed since we won World Cup in 1992. Fitness is a major factor and the team should be busy in briefings by the coach, who should be advising them about their weaknesses and strong and weak points of the opposing team with help of recordings, instead of being busy with their families.

Ali Malik Tariq, Lahore

*****

Cricket fans in Pakistan have pinned their hopes on the cricket team, which crumbled like a house of cards against the Australians. Sarfaraz saying “We committed too much mistakes” is no justification for the defeat against Australia. The match that could have been won easily had some common sense been applied during batting. There was no game plan, no strategy and no effort to overcome the Aussies.

Iftikhar Mirza, Islamabad