Former Pakistan wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal has blamed the captain, head coach and the selection committee for Pakistan’s heavy defeat to South Africa in the opening T20 International, saying the leadership “got it completely wrong”.
South Africa defeated Pakistan by 55 runs in the first T20 of the three-match series to take a 1–0 lead. Chasing the Proteas’ target of 195, the Pakistani batting lineup collapsed for 139 in the 19th over.
Speaking to a private TV channel, Akmal lashed out at the team management, questioning the decision to appoint Agha Salman as captain. “A player who doesn’t even make the T20 squad has been made captain,” he said. Akmal added that he had opposed the decision from day one, calling it unfair and unjustified.
He held the PCB Chairman, the selection committee, the captain and the coach equally responsible for the poor performance. “If the right player is chosen as captain even now, this team can still perform. Everyone is accountable,” he stressed.
Meanwhile, former Test cricketer Yasir Hameed also criticised the team’s mindset, saying it was “stuck in the past”. “As a captain, two things matter: your personal performance and the team’s results. Agha Salman is neither performing nor winning,” he remarked.
