Hafeez Blames 'Greedy' PCB And Veterans For Pakistan's T20 World Cup Loss

Former Pakistan player Mohammad Hafeez has criticised two Pakistan veterans following the disappointing defeat against India on Sunday.

Hafeez, speaking on Pakistani media, condemned the 'greedy' Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) for making deals with players who have 'ruined Pakistan cricket'.

Pakistan suffered their second consecutive defeat in the T20 World Cup 2024, losing to India by 6 runs. Despite bowling India out for 119, Babar Azam and his team could only manage 113 runs.

Pakistan's selection process has been a topic of debate, including during the T20 World Cup. Two veterans, Mohammad Amir and Imad Wasim, came out of retirement and were drafted straight into the Pakistan squad. The duo had declared themselves unavailable during the ODI World Cup last year. Their sudden inclusion meant performers in the Pakistan domestic circuit didn't get the recognition they deserved.

Former Pakistan captain Mohammad Hafeez expressed his frustration after the defeat against India, indirectly accusing Amir and Wasim of damaging Pakistan cricket and criticising PCB for bringing them back into the international fold.

"They (PCB) brought them (Wasim, Amir) back out of greed, made a deal with players who have ruined Pakistan cricket. When I was in the domestic circuit, no one wanted to play domestic cricket. They said, 'Hafeez bhai we will play if we are selected. How can they even select players who are not playing domestic cricket?''', Hafeez said.

Hafeez also accused both Wasim and Amir of not playing in the World Cup 2023 when they were asked. He claimed that the players refused to play because they were participating in franchise tournaments at that time.

"Six months before when they were asked to play for Pakistan, they said they wanted to play leagues. And as there is no league now, they are playing the World Cup and playing the World Cup like a league. What message are they giving to the youngsters of Pakistan who are working so hard," he added.

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Domestic Cricket Concerns

Hafeez also cited an incident involving Kamran Ghulam, who left the final of a domestic match after scoring several hundreds. Ghulam reportedly stated that there was no incentive for playing domestic cricket due to Pakistan's questionable selection process.

With two defeats, Pakistan will have to rely on USA's losses to progress to the Super Eights of the T20 World Cup.