Former Pakistan pacer Shoaib Akhtar has fired a stern warning to Pakistan and their captain Babar Azam pertaining to the team's upcoming match against Afghanistan. Akhtar affirmed that if Pakistan players want to save themselves from embarrassment then they will have to beat Afghanistan. Akhtar also said that beating Afghanistan won't be easy as the match will take place at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai, a stadium that offers assistance to spinners. Furthermore, Akhtar even said that Afghanistan are at par with Pakistan's cricket team.
"Afghanistan is a formidable team, and it's important not to underestimate them. They are on par with Pakistan in terms of their capabilities. The upcoming match in Chennai will feature turning conditions, which favor Afghanistan. While Pakistan has faced challenges, I believe they will bounce back. Let's go out there and give it our all, playing with heart and determination to avoid any potential embarrassment," Akhtar said on his YouTube channel.
Akhtar was disappointed with Pakistan and Babar Azam's performance against Australia. The 'Rawalpindi Express' said that the Men in Green take fearless decisions.
"Winning the toss and electing to bowl, why? Score 320, give bowlers a chance. Maybe they could've bowled them out. Babar Azam, a great player but again, great players need to play great innings. You can't make yourself a big name by not performing against big nations. You have to show you can score big runs in big games,” Akhtar said.
Pakistan have been below par in the ongoing ODI World Cup. They have played four matches and lost two of those contests, first against India and then against Australia. Their two wins have come against the Netherlands and Sri Lanka. Moving forward, the Men in Green have to play better cricket or else there chances of qualifying for the semi-finals will take a major hit.
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