India vs Pakistan: Find your final XI first, says Shoaib Akthar as he questions India's team selection
India Today
Former cricketer Shoaib Akthar has questioned India's team selection for the Super Fours clash against Pakistan on Sunday. The Indian lineup had three changes as Pakistan won the match by five wickets.
Shoaib Akthar has urged India to find their playing eleven first after their Super Fours loss to Pakistan on Sunday.
The arch-rivals locked horns for the second time in Asia Cup 2022, with Pakistan picking up a five-wicket win. India had claimed the victory during the group stages.
Over the past few months, India has been trying different combinations and players in the team with the T20 World Cup kept in mind. The likes of Ishan Kishan, Deepak Hooda and Suryakumar Yadav have been used up top as openers. Players like Sanju Samson and Shreyas Iyer have been used in the middle order, with more changes happening to the bowling lineup as well. There has been a lot of chaos regarding the final lineup which India will be taking to Australia for the World Cup.
Even in the match on Sunday, India made three changes to the lineup with Dinesh Karthik, who was brought in to the T20 setup as a finisher, being dropped for Hooda, while Ravi Bishnoi and Hardik Pandya came in for Avesh Khan and the injured Ravindra Jadeja.
Speaking on his YouTube channel, as quoted by News 18, in the aftermath of the match on Sunday, Akthar told India to decide on their final XI first and also to decide on which players will be the future of the team going forward. He slammed the Indian team management's selection for the match against Pakistan and said that he doesn't understand why there is so much confusion regarding it.
“India should decide what should be their final XI. Who is your future is it Rishabh Pant, Dinesh Karthik, Deepak Hooda or Ravi Bishnoi. Find you final XI at least first, because, this is a confused selection from India and I don’t know why is there so much confusion,” said Akthar.
