‘Shameful, embarrassing’ – Fans react after Pakistan batters struggle against net bowlers

Muhammad Rizwan and Iftikhar Ahmed. (Source – Twitter/X)

Pakistan Cricket is going through tumultuous times as their recent performances have been ordinary to say the least. They are licking their wounds after a dismal show in the T20 World Cup 2024, where they crashed out from the first round after defeats to debutants USA and hosts India.

Pakistan’s abysmal outing at the marquee event has garnered severe criticism from fans as well as experts. Some former Pakistan cricketers have called for a fresh start, giving opportunities to promising youngsters in the side instead of the underperforming seniors. Mohammad Rizwan and Iftikhar Ahmed are two of the more experienced players who have been under scrutiny.

Also Read: England to tour Pakistan for three Tests in October

They are now making the headlines once again for the wrong reasons after a video on social media, showing them struggling against a rookie pacer, has rapidly gone viral. Young right-arm pacer Nouman Khan Khaira can be seen causing Rizwan and Iftikhar quite a few problems with his pace and bounce in the video.

Fans criticised Rizwan and Iftikhar for their struggles against the young seamer.

“These local boys should be taken into the Pakistani team and those playing for the side should be rested,” said one user on X.

“They even struggled against part time software engineers of USA,” joked another on Instagram.

Rizwan scored 110 runs from our matches at an average of 36.66 and a strike rate of 90.90 at the T20 World Cup last month. Meanwhile, Iftikhar played only a couple of games and aggregated 23 runs.

What’s next for Pakistan?

Pakistan are set to don the whites as they square off against Bangladesh at home in a two-match Test series in August and September. The first match of the series will be held in Rawalpindi from August 21-25 while the second is scheduled in Karachi from August 30 to September 4.

Also Read: ‘There are promising opportunities’ – PCB chief Mohsin Naqvi on chances of India-Pakistan series

Pakistan are currently placed at No. 5 on the World Test Championship (WTC) points table for the 2023-2025 cycle. They will look to gain full points from the series against Bangladesh, who are going through a transition phase in the absence of some of their experienced campaigners.