Islamabad, 28 March 2025: Kamran Akmal has strongly criticized Pakistan’s performance in the recently concluded T20I series against New Zealand, calling the 4-1 defeat “embarrassing.”
Former wicketkeeper-batter urged the team management to prioritize merit over favoritism when selecting squads, taking inspiration from India’s approach to team building.
Pakistan’s struggles continued in Wellington, where they suffered an eight-wicket loss in the final match, sealing a disappointing series.
While analyzing the team’s performance, the wicket-keeper remarked that Pakistan appeared to be an unorganized side and failed to show any signs of competitiveness.
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He pointed out India’s dominance in international cricket, attributing their success to a selection process based on performance rather than personal preferences.
Akmal noted that even India’s young players, many of whom feature in the IPL, could have performed better against Pakistan’s current squad.
Following Pakistan’s defeat, captain Salman Ali Agha admitted that his team had been thoroughly outplayed by the hosts. However, he remained optimistic about the lessons learned from the series.
He acknowledged that New Zealand had dominated throughout but highlighted a few positive individual performances, including Hasan Ali and Haris’ batting display in Auckland and Sufiyan’s bowling efforts in the final match.
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Salman emphasized that despite the series loss, Pakistan’s primary focus remained on upcoming major tournaments like the Asia Cup and T20 World Cup.
While assessing his own performance, he stated that personal achievements mattered little when the team failed to secure victories.
After the disappointing T20I series, Pakistan will now turn its attention to the three-match ODI series against New Zealand, set to begin on Saturday at McLean Park.
The Men in Green will lock horns against the home side New Zealand in the three-match ODI series, starting from tomorrow.
