“It’s not like some Maradona is sitting on the bench and we are playing a local footballer” - Ramiz Raja on Pakistan’s middle-order woes

Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Ramiz Raja has admitted that the team’s middle order is a concern, especially keeping in mind that two World Cups in different formats are coming up. He, however, lamented that they have limited options, which is one of the reasons they are struggling.

Pakistan recently reached the final of the Asia Cup 2022 in the UAE. However, they failed to lift the title as their middle order crumbled against the Sri Lankan spinners. It did not help that skipper and opener Babar Azam had a forgettable tournament with the bat.

In a Q&A session with cricket fans on PCB’s official YouTube channel, Raja was asked for his views on Pakistan’s weak middle order, not only in T20Is but in ODIs as well. The former captain admitted:

“In T20Is you need youthful exuberance, but I agree that in 50 overs we need batters who can occupy the crease and bat sensibly in the middle overs. But as of now, we have limited options. It’s not like some Maradona is sitting on the bench and we are playing a local footballer instead of him.

"We definitely need improvement in the middle-order and consistency as well. No doubt about that.”

Pakistan’s previous ODI assignment was against the Netherlands in Rotterdam last month.

While they managed to win the series 3-0, they narrowly avoided embarrassment in the third ODI, crumbling from 104 for two to 206 all out. Pakistan needed a five-wicket haul from Naseem Shah to bowl the team to a face-saving nine-run win.

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“Separating the opening pair will spoil the DNA of the team” - Ramiz Raja

During the discussion, Raja was also asked why Fakhar Zaman wasn’t opening the batting T20Is considering Babar and Mohammad Rizwan are not outright stroke-makers. The PCB chairman explained that such a change is not needed. Raja opined:

“If it ain't broke, don't fix it. That’s very risky. One of the big reasons why we have won nearly 80 percent of matches recently is because of our strong opening pair. You can have reservations with their style of play, but there is a plan in place.

"Our style is a good case study for the world that you can win T20Is this way as well. Separating the opening pair will spoil the DNA of the team.”

Babar and Rizwan experienced contrasting fortunes while opening the innings in the Asia Cup. While Rizwan was the leading run-getter with 281 runs in six matches at an average of 56.20, the Pakistan skipper managed only 68 runs at an average of 11.33.