Former captain Mohammad Hafeez has criticized Pakistan's pace trio of Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah, and Haris Rauf following their six-wicket loss to India on Saturday in Dubai. In this highly anticipated match, the pace attack struggled as India comfortably chased down the 242-run target in just 42.3 overs. Shaheen was the only one to take wickets, dismissing Hardik Pandya and Rohit Sharma, while Naseem and Rauf went wicketless. Even though Shaheen picked up a couple of wickets, he conceded 74 runs in 8 overs, with an economy rate of 9.20, failing to make a significant impact.

Since 2022, the Pakistan team has relied heavily on this pace trio, especially during ICC events, but they haven't managed to secure any titles.

Hafeez highlighted that expectations have been high for these three since the 2022 T20 World Cup, but they have consistently underperformed in crucial moments.

“With the Asia Cup kicking off in 2023, we expected this trio—Shaheen, Naseem, and Haris—to bring home some trophies. But they’ve let us down. The 2023 World Cup was a flop. The 2022 T20 tournament in Melbourne was a flop. And now, this Champions Trophy is another letdown,” Hafeez stated on PTV.

He didn’t hold back in his harsh assessment of the current Pakistan pacers in the Champions Trophy, suggesting they lack the skills needed to win major tournaments.

“It’s time to face the facts. Many believe these guys have the skills, but it’s just not enough to clinch a big tournament. We need to move on and bring in new talent,” he added.

‘Mohammad Ali, Khurram Shahzad, and a few others are just hanging around, waiting for their turn’

The ex-captain highlighted the players who are ready to step up and encouraged the selectors to give them a shot instead of sticking with the current pace trio.

"How about we give Mohammad Ali, Khurram Shahzad, Mohammad Wasim Jr., Akif Javed, and Mir Hamza a chance? These guys are eager to play. Let’s see what they can do. They’re also Pakistani; they’ve got Pakistani passports too," he wrapped up.

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