'Pakistan are playing school-level cricket' - Shoaib Akhtar slams PCB and Pakistan for mediocre show in New Zealand

With Pakistan firmly on the backfoot of the ongoing second Test against New Zealand, former fast-bowler Shoaib Akhtar has slammed the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB). Led by their skipper Kane Williamson, the New Zealand batsmen sent Pakistan bowlers on a leather hunt on the third day of the Test as the hosts piled up a mammoth total of 659 for 6 before declaring.

Williamson, who had scored a century in the first Test of the series too, scored 238. He shared 369 runs with Henry Nicholls as the duo scripted the third-highest partnership for the Kiwis in the longest format of the game. Before their huge partnership, New Zealand were reeling at 71 for 3 in reply to Pakistan’s first innings total of 297.

The partnership ended when Mohammad Abbas sent back Nicholls for 157. But that did not bring any respite for the visitors as Williamson and Daryll Mitchell continued to frustrate them. The duo shared a 133-run stand for the sixth wicket before Faheem Ashraf dismissed Williamson. Mitchell went on to complete his century and was unbeaten on 102 when the hosts declared.

Pakistan’s miseries were then compounded by Shan Masood’s failure with the bat. The tourists had to bat out 11 overs and it was enough for them to lose one wicket. Fast bowler Kyle Jamieson sent back Masood for a duck before Pakistan ended the day on 8 for 1.

Shoaib Akhtar slams PCB and Pakistan team:

Following yet another poor outing on the field from Pakistan, Shoaib Akhtar has lashed out at the board and the team. The former cricketer criticised the board’s policy and called them out for ‘bringing and playing average players’. He also said that Pakistan would continue to be exposed in Test cricket because of playing school-level cricket.

“The policies of the Pakistan Cricket Board is seeing them get what they had sowed. They keep bringing and playing average players, and they keep making an average team and will continue to do average work and because of this, average results will keep coming,” Shoaib Akhtar said in a video he shared on Twitter.

“Whenever Pakistan will play Test cricket, they will be exposed. They are playing school-level cricket and the management has made them school-level cricketers. And now they are again thinking to change the management but when will you change?” he added.