Former Pakistani captain and renowned commentator Ramiz Raja has warned that the United States of America (USA) could pose a challenge to the national team during the upcoming ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024.
Raja expressed thoughts in a video on his official YouTube channel after Pakistan suffered a shocking loss against Ireland in the first T20I of the three-match series.
The former captain questioned Pakistan’s performance in the match against Ireland and their preparation for the T20 World Cup, scheduled in the USA and West Indies.
“You can’t defend losing against Ireland. The body language looks weak, you have made combinations that have affected the team,” Ramiz Raja said.
“The team was doing well, but the captaincy was changed and then the new captain was replaced with the previous one. In a World Cup year, the team has fallen to seventh position in the T20I rankings and this shows the actual condition of the team,” he added.
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He further raised concerns over Pakistan’s chances to win the World Cup, citing the team’s recent performances.
“How will Pakistan win the World Cup, you don’t have a combination, the opening pair is not set, the set batters lose their wickets and the middle order doesn’t function well. In the current situation, how will Pakistan go to the semi-finals?” Raja questioned.
The former PCB chairman also warned that co-hosts USA, who are set to play their first-ever T20 World Cup, might prove to be a difficult opposition for Pakistan due to the presence of expats from India and Pakistan in their squad.
“I think the USA might give tough time to Pakistan because they also have some expats from India and Pakistan playing for them,” he added.
Notably, Pakistan will kick off their T20 World Cup campaign against the USA on 6 June in Dallas.