Pakistan cricket team manager Intikhab Alam has condemned criticism of the national team after their humiliating 110-run defeat to New Zealand in their group match of the ongoing ICC World Cup 2011.Talking to reporters at the Pallekele Stadium, the manager said other teams had also lost matches and thatPakistan are not the first team to lose a match. He added that the players needed support from their people to come up with better results in the tournament.
Alam admitting that wicket-keeper Kamran Akmal had performed poorly. He said Akmal may be replaced with his brother Umar Akmal in the next match. He also said that the keeper, himself, was quite upset over his performance, but the management did not allow any player to let his morale droop. He said the team’s supporters should help boost the players’ morale.
“I don't think it is right for either of us or our supporters and former players to panic after one defeat. We made mistakes, we dropped crucial catches and we didn't click at all against New Zealand, but that does not mean that we are out of the World Cup,” he said.
He also said that the management had discussed the recent defeat with the players and were trying to learn from the mistakes. “We will gain nothing by panicking and we have to manage with the available 15 players in the World Cup,” he said.
Kamran Akmal gave a poor show in the group match of the tournament against New Zealand where he missed three catches, with two of Ross Taylor when he was at zero and four. Akmal’s miserable wicket-keeping provided the opponents a golden chances towards the 110-run victory over the Pakistani team.
Taylor did not waste the opportunities and hit the splendid innings of unbeaten 131 runs off 124 balls including eight fours and seven sixes. His big run score helped Black Caps to set a huge target of 303 runs in fifty overs.
Pakistan started off with poor batting performance and ended their innings with just 192 runs in 41.4 overs all out. None of the batsmen could score fifty accept Abdur- Razzaq who hit 62 runs off 72 balls including nine fours. Their defeat dropped them to second place in the group A.
The former Test captain also said that the keeper should not be blamed alone as whole team is accountable for this humiliating defeat. He said that in a team work, blame or credit does not go to a single individual, rather whole team should be responsible.
Media reports have revealed that there is a rare possibility that Kamran would be side lined in the next match against Zimbabwe as all senior players including skipper Shahid Afridi are backing him despite his poor show.
