Ramiz Raja urges management to experiment with Haider Ali, Khushdil Shah in 2nd T20I
Pak vs Eng: Ramiz Raja says that the team management should be more experimental in the T20I format.
TV pundit Ramiz Raja has criticised the Pakistan team management for snubbing youngsters Haider Ali and Khushdil Shah when the Men in Green faced England in their first T20I match on Friday.
Raja, in a video on his YouTube channel, expressed his disappointment over the management's lack of experimentation with its youth, adding that the T20 format was best suited for it.
"Haider and Khushdil could not find a place in the side. This was disappointing because in T20s, if you don’t go in with youth no matter how important the series, you will not be able to look ahead. You will keep on relying on hits and misses," Raja said.
The former cricketer noted that while the bowling department seemed more open to the idea, it was the batting unit that needed fresh blood.
"Without youngsters, your combination will not be finely tuned. In the bowling department we keep experimenting with youngsters without hesitation but we only see negativity in the batting department," he said.
"In T20 you get the license to express yourself without much fear. This situation relaxes a batsman and he can perform well."
It is pertinent to mention here that Raja has an ongoing beef with veterans Mohammad Hafeez and Shoaib Malik, both of whom were picked for the series opener - much to the 1992 World Cup winner's annoyance.
Raja said that while the batting department has disappointed him in general during the tour of England, the Men in Green have bowled impressively.
"I was disappointed by this [batting] but Pakistan bowled well. They trapped England in the initial part of the match and then we saw an onslaught from the hosts, which was later reined in by the bowlers. I think the real contest is going to be England’s batsmen against our spinners. We will have to see how to go well in the matches going forward,” he concluded.
The second T20I match is scheduled on August 30 in Manchester.
READ: Ramiz Raja advises Mohammad Hafeez, Shoaib Malik to retire with dignity
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