CT 2017: Ramiz Raja feels Pakistan fall short in power hitting department

Team Pakistan managed to eke out a narrow win against Bangladesh in their first warm up game before the Champions Trophy. They were 8 wickets down and some considerable amount of runs were still needed to be chased. It was Fahim Ashraf’s heroics that helped them register a two wicket on the day. Former Pakistani cricketer Ramiz Raja feels that the team still lacks the power hitters in their lineup.

In a recent media interaction, Ramiz Raja quoted that things have been turning out to be quite good for the men in green in the lead up to the Champions Trophy. However, he noted that the team lacks the power hitting skills. Also, their inability to pick wickets with the new ball might end up hurting them in the tournament.

“They say a captain is as good as his team and this side lacks power-hitting skills. Also to win he needs to find wickets with the new ball. He has to be in control of his emotions — he must have a flexible plan based on discipline to create a winning environment,” quoted Ramiz Raja.

Promoting Sarfraz in the batting order

He further added that skipper Sarfraz Ahmed must consider promoting himself up the order in the tournament. This will not only keep the batting lineup stable but also make it more dynamic. Sarfraz is an attacking batsman and that might come in handy for the team. “I would recommend Sarfraz to bat at four or five just to shake things up,” quoted the former cricketer.

Meanwhile, Pakistani skipper Sarfraz remarked that they have nothing to lose in the tournament. He knows that they are the least ranked side but are up for the big challenge that lies ahead. “It’s true we are [ranked] number eight but we are capable of giving a tough time to our opponents. We will overcome our weaknesses during our preparations in a camp in Birmingham and will be noticed for our fight,” he conceded.