Sikandar Bakht lashes out at Mohammad Rizwan, wants him to quit captaincy

Former Pakistan fast bowler Sikandar Bakht has slammed Mohammad Rizwan’s captaincy in the ongoing Champions Trophy. Pakistan suffered a 60-run loss in the opening match of the eight-team tournament against New Zealand and then they were beaten by six wickets against arch-rivals India in Dubai on Sunday.

Rizwan hasn’t been able to lead from the front in the ongoing tournament as he returned with scores of 3 and 46 against New Zealand and India respectively. 

Rizwan took 77 balls to score 46 runs against India and scored his runs at a strike rate of less than 60. Bakht said he isn’t able to understand what Rizwan says in the press conferences and interviews.

“Firstly, Mohammad Rizwan should resign as the captain. Whenever he speaks, I am not able to understand what he says. A person who cannot speak or express himself, what sort of a captain would he be,” Bakht asked while speaking to Geo News. 

“We have seen his captaincy on the field. He is a bad choice to be the captain. I said the same about Babar Azam as well,” Bakht said.

Bakht said the PCB shouldn’t give central contracts to the players unless they perform for the team.

“We have to make changes. End their central contracts. Don’t give them central contracts till the team starts performing. There should be some performance. In a corporate setup, you are given a task. If you don’t do it, you are asked to pack up and leave,” Bakht said.

Pakistan haven’t been at their best with both bat and ball and thus they would need to come up with a collective show. Babar Azam hasn’t been able to deliver the goods as well whereas the bowling line-up has looked insipid.

Pakistan will play its final game of the Champions Trophy against Bangladesh at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, Rawalpindi on Thursday.