Former captain Azhar Ali has expressed his views on the struggles of the Pakistani fast bowlers, blaming the ‘Can’t play them’ hashtag for their downfall.
The pace trio of Shaheen Afridi, Haris Rauf, and Naseem Shah has long been criticized for failing to perform to their true potential in crucial games.
Several players, including former wicketkeeping batter Rashid Latif, were among those who believed that the Pakistan pace battery had let the fans down in recent times.
Now, Azhar Ali has cited the culture of overhyping bowlers as the main reason for the downfall of the Pakistani fast bowlers.
During an appearance on a podcast, the former batter was asked about the reason behind the diminishing effectiveness of the Pakistan pace battery.
“Remember the hashtag ‘can’t play them’? Everything went bad from there. I think managers should not create a fuss about everything on social media,” said the former batter.
Azhar Ali stated there was nothing wrong with celebrating after a victory; however, he emphasized that players should not become arrogant after their notable performances.
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He also pointed out that rushing fast bowlers back after an injury adds to their ineffectiveness.
“The Pakistan team management rushes bowlers back after an injury; their rehabilitation is not done as it should be, said Azhar.
The former test batter cited the example of Indian pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah, who was brought back into the side a year after his injury.
“Bumrah came back after a year. He could have returned after six months, but they gave him proper time. Even he realized that fitness is essential,” he said.
According to Azhar Ali, players also push for a quick comeback, affecting their bowling.
When the host asked whether bowlers tried rushing back into the team following the fear of losing their place, Ali responded by citing the example of Pakistan’s current fast-bowling trio.
“All these three or four bowlers which you are talking about, Shaheen Afridi and Naseem Shah; how will they lose their place? They are proper bowlers,” he said.
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