Former Pakistan spinner Danish Kaneria sharply criticized the national cricket team and its management following their poor performance against India in the Asia Cup match, where Team India skipped the traditional post-match handshake with Pakistan players. Kaneria accused Pakistani officials of deflecting blame instead of taking responsibility for their shortcomings.“Pakistan cricket is in a pathetic state right now. This always happens: when there is an issue (handshake snub), instead of taking responsibility, they keep blaming others,” Kaneria told IANS, urging Pakistan’s cricketing authorities to be held accountable. “The selectors were entrusted with the responsibility of 22 crore people. What team did you select? What coaching assignments did you give? What was your game plan, strategy, and approach?”Kaneria acknowledged the clear performance gap between the two teams. “Pakistan is not playing well as expected, while India is a top-tier team. Judging by their performance in the last game, it is clear that Pakistan’s team is not better than the Indian team,” he stated.The controversy escalated when PCB chief Mohsin Naqvi, who also serves as the Asian Cricket Council president, called for match referee Andy Pycroft‘s removal from the Asia Cup roster. Naqvi alleged that Pycroft had instructed captains not to shake hands at the toss.“The handshake incident caused a big commotion. If Pakistan continue like this and don’t focus on cricket, they will head further toward decline,” Kaneria warned.
Kaneria emphasized the need for Pakistan cricket to implement structural changes and establish proper accountability at the top level. He stressed that the team requires clear strategy, planning, and strong execution to compete with leading cricket nations.The team now faces increasing pressure as they prepare for their Super 4s match against India on Sunday. The focus remains on how the players and management will address the criticism and improve their performance.The PCB leadership and team management’s response to these challenges will be crucial as Pakistan aims to regain their competitive edge in international cricket. The upcoming Super 4s match presents an opportunity for the team to demonstrate improvement and silence critics.
