Even if Pakistan wins the T20 WC, they aren't headed in the right direction: Shoaib Akhtar

Pakistan was brought under a lot of scrutiny for their performance against England in the ODI series. However, the Men in Green registered a win in the first T20I against the hosts and ended their winless streak on the tour. Though Pakistan might have walked towards changing their fortunes in the shortest format, the former Pakistan cricketer Shoaib Akhtar has asserted that T20Is shouldn’t be the major focus of Pakistan.

The T20 World Cup is on cards and after India and Pakistan were included in the same draw, the anticipation of the clash has already pumped up. But Shoaib Akhtar feels that Pakistan isn’t headed in the correct direction even if they go on to win the T20 World Cup in the UAE. He opined that the team needs to focus on the longer formats and that should be their aim.

“If Pakistan wins the World Cup this year, then it should not surprise anyone. But even if they manage to win the World Cup, are they going in the right direction? No, they aren’t. T20 is not our aim and it shouldn’t be our aim as well,” Akhtar said as reported by Cricket Pakistan.

They have the talent but they simply can’t play 50 overs: Shoaib Akhtar

In the first T20I against the hosts, Pakistan brought up a belligerent display with the bat and posted a massive target on the board. Previously in the ODIs, they weren’t able to carry momentum as their batting collapsed. Considering it, Akhtar stated that Pakistan is a strong T20 side but they choke in the longer formats. He stated the change in the approach of the players to be the reason for their good performance in T20I.

“So what did Pakistan do differently in T20I that they performed so well? The difference was just in the attitude. The problem with Pakistan is that they cannot play 50 overs. They have the talent but they simply can’t play 50 overs. Can’t rotate the strike,” Akhtar added.

Akhtar believes that Pakistan is a team to savor when it comes to T20. He also claimed the team to be the best in the shortest format and stated that the hosts underestimated them and that led to their downfall. “England’s team is underestimating Pakistan team and perhaps they do not understand that Pakistan’s T20 team is one of the best in the world,” he said.