'Pakistan developing mental block against Afghanistan,' say Ramiz Raja

SHARJAH: Former Pakistan captain Ramiz Raja on Wednesday strongly criticised the national team after their defeat to Afghanistan in the Tri-Nation Series, holding the batting line-up responsible and stating that it now appears the players have developed a mental block when facing Afghanistan.

Speaking on his YouTube channel, Raja said Pakistan lost the match due to their own mistakes and described the batters’ dismissals from reckless shots as incomprehensible.

"Although Afghanistan officially won the match by 18 runs, they had effectively sealed victory much earlier because Pakistani batters, even after getting set at the crease, threw their wickets away. 

"It wasn’t just one or two players, none of them learned from their mistakes. This time, they found new and bizarre ways to get out, which is beyond understanding," Raja remarked.

The former skipper pointed out that on this pitch, runs should have been scored comfortably, but the manner in which the Pakistani batters were dismissed made it impossible to win.

"This was a 170-run pitch, nothing more than that. The Sharjah pitch plays differently, but if you go out there already ready to get out and play these short, flashy innings of 10, 15, 20 or 25 runs, you simply can’t win matches," he said.

Raja further stated that beating Pakistan is no longer a surprise for Afghanistan because their team now believes they can consistently defeat Pakistan.

"It’s clear now, Afghanistan no longer sees a win over Pakistan as an upset. This Afghan team has confidence. They know Pakistan struggles against them, and to me, it looks like Pakistan has developed a mental block when facing Afghanistan," Raja said.

"Afghanistan has now beaten Pakistan four times, while Pakistan has won five matches, with the once-large margin between the two sides narrowing significantly."

Raja also criticised fast bowler Haris Rauf for his poor bowling performance, adding that unless Pakistan’s batting approach changes, defeats will continue.

"Pakistan made several mistakes with the bat on this pitch. A total of 170 was easily achievable. Yes, Haris Rauf had a bad day and conceded too many runs, but the way Pakistan is batting and the direction they’re heading in they will only find defeat on this path," he warned.

Raja praised Afghanistan’s batting for its patience and skill, singling out Ibrahim Zadran for special appreciation.

"Look at how Afghanistan batted, with patience, hitting big shots when needed and also playing regular, sensible cricket. Zadran played a magnificent innings. 

"He has done this before too, like in the Champions Trophy against England, when he played a brilliant knock that helped Afghanistan win that match as well," Raja concluded.