'Pakistan need a power-hitting coach in T20s, Misbah-ul-Haq overburdened': Ramiz Raza

It is fair to say that Sri Lanka has been the giant killers of the season. From scripting a memorable Test series win in South Africa- The first Asian side to do so- to shocking England- the eventual champions- in the World Cup, to now beating the No.1 ranked T20I side in the world with a second-string side in their own den, its been a memorable year for the 1996 World Champions.

And, so naturally, there has been a lot of furor in Pakistan following back-to-back humiliating defeats. Fans have taken to Twitter to troll the likes of Umar Akmal, Sarfaraz Ahmed, and Head Coach + Chief Selector + Batting Coach, Misbah ul Haq, while the pundits are posting videos on their Youtube channel to lambast the team management and their shoddy selection.

The latest to join the bandwagon is the former opening batsman and 1992 World Cup winner, Ramiz Raja. The cricketer-turned-commentator suggested in his video that the result against Sri Lanka was on expected lines, considering the fact that the selectors and team-management have gone backward by bringing back tried-and-tested ‘32-year-olds’ like Ahmed Shahzad and Umar Akmal.

“The result of the T20I series against (Sri Lanka) was expected as Pakistan team was stressed after losing the first game. Many old players were recalled in the T20 team but were unable to deliver under pressure,” Ramiz said.

‘Misbah-ul-Haq has been overburdened’

The former Pakistani captain is also of the view that Misbah-ul-Haq, who is serving a triple role of Head coach, chief selector and batting coach at the same time is feeling overburdened with his multiple duties, while also referring to the fact that Pakistan needed a dynamic power-hitting coach in the shortest format of the game.

“Misbah-ul-Haq has been overburdened after he was handed the coaching responsibilities of all formats. I feel we need to bring in a power-hitting coach for the shorter format, to correct the direction of the players,” Ramiz said in a video posted on his Youtube channel.

Meanwhile, after having already lost the T20I series, the No.1 ranked side will be desperate to notch up a face-saving win in the last match and avoid the ignominy of facing a 0-3 whitewash in front of their own fans.

You can watch the video here: