Pakistan's dismal performance in international cricket has once again attracted severe criticism from former players. Following a winless campaign in the Champions Trophy held on home soil, Pakistan embarked on a white-ball series in New Zealand, introducing several new players and appointing Salman Ali Agha as the captain of the T20I team. Unfortunately, the results remained unchanged, as they suffered a 1-4 defeat against a New Zealand side that was missing many of its key players, who had traveled to India for IPL 2025.

Expectations were higher for the One Day Internationals, but the situation did not improve. Pakistan lost the first two matches of the series, marking yet another disappointing outcome in a bilateral series. This prompted former cricketer Basit Ali to voice his dissatisfaction, stating that the team had 'betrayed' the people of Pakistan. He also criticized their outdated approach to the game.

"The Pakistan team has let us down. I am unsure what era of cricket we are currently playing. Although Pakistan made a strong comeback after Mitchell's dismissal, poor captaincy hindered their efforts. This does not resemble a true Pakistan team; that is all I can say," Basit remarked on his YouTube channel.

In the first innings, Pakistan faced a relentless assault from Mitchell Hay, followed by a fierce pace attack led by Ben Sears, who took five wickets. At one point, Pakistan found themselves in dire straits at 65/6. However, a spirited counterattack from Faheem Ashraf (73) and Naseem Shah (51) offered a glimmer of hope. Ultimately, the persistent pressure from the scoreboard and a lack of wickets led to Pakistan being bowled out for 208, resulting in a significant 84-run defeat and handing the Kiwis an unassailable 2-0 lead.

Despite some success with the ball during certain phases of the second ODI, Pakistan struggled to establish any dominance with the bat. Among the top six batters, only Tayyab Tahir (13) managed to reach double digits, while Babar Azam (1), Abdullah Shafique (1), Salman Agha (9), Mohammad Rizwan (5), and Imam-ul-Haq (3) all fell short.

Basit mocks Pakistan's top-order, requests the team to return home before third ODI

Criticizing Pakistan's top-order performance, Basit derisively referred to the batters as "Bradman" and suggested that the team should forfeit the final match to spare the fans from further humiliation.

"The so-called Bradmans from positions one to six all scored in single digits, except for Tayyab Tahir. I believe that rather than participating in the third match, Pakistan should declare, 'You win; we are eager to return home.' This is essentially New Zealand's C team. I am astonished that Naseem Shah did not play. Pakistan should not have exceeded 200 runs; we should have been all out for around 140," he remarked.

With the series beyond their reach, Pakistan now aims to conclude the three-match series on a positive note, with the final game scheduled at Bay Oval on Saturday.

Read Also: Rishabh Pant Shrugs Off ₹27 Crore Tag, But Is He Really at Peace?

Get the latest Bollywood entertainment news, trending celebrity news, latest celebrity news, new movie reviews, latest entertainment news, latest Bollywood news, and Bollywood celebrity fashion & style updates!

HOW DID YOU LIKE THIS ARTICLE? CHOOSE YOUR EMOTICON!