Admitting the shortcomings, opening batter Mohammad Rizwan stated on Tuesday that the Pakistan cricket team deserved criticism for their dismal performance in the T20 World Cup 2024.
“After the poor performance, we deserve criticism. Those who can’t face the flak, cannot succeed,” the right-handed batsman said while speaking to the media in Peshawar.
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Rizwan emphasized that there was no single reason behind the team’s defeat, attributing it to multiple “weaknesses” that led to Pakistan’s early exit from the tournament. He acknowledged that the team’s failure to progress beyond the group stage, which included a loss to the underdog US team, drew criticism from fans, analysts, and cricketers alike.
He expressed disappointment on behalf of the team, stating that they were unable to fulfill the nation’s expectations. Following the T20 World Cup debacle, he admitted that the Green Shirts could no longer claim to have strong batting and bowling.
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Regarding rumors of bias within the team, Rizwan dismissed such speculations, asserting that all players were committed to playing for the green flag.
Addressing remarks by Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Mohsin Naqvi about the need for a “major surgery” in the team, Rizwan said, “When you get ill, you get a surgery. He’s the chairman of the board and it is his right. It’s his right whom he wants to retain and whom not.”