The 7-match T20I series between Pakistan and England gave the Men in Green a reality check ahead of the T20 World Cup 2022. Touted as the favourites to deliver in their own backyard, Pakistan suffered a 3-4 defeat against the tourists despite skipper Jos Buttler not playing a single game. Seeing fans express their disappointment over the team's performance, Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chief Ramiz Raja has urged them to keep faith.
It was the first time in 17 years that England arrived in Pakistan for a bilateral series. With a number of rookies in their squad, the tourists weren't seen as the absolute favourites. But, under the leadership of Moeen Ali, England showed a great performance to beat Pakistan in their own den.
The series has exposed a number of loopholes in the Pakistan team, ranging from the fragile middle-order to the lack of experience in the bowling unit. Raja, in a video shared by Pakistan Cricket on Twitter, has urged fans to not lose hope in the team ahead of the T20 World Cup in Australia.
"It is very easy to say press a button and start playing aggressive like Australia. That you are still playing old school cricket in modern-day cricket," he said.
"The current team has a way to play and in my opinion there is nothing wrong in it because their success rate is almost 80 percent in 12 months. This team doesn't get influenced, there is clarity of roles, and they know how to win a match.
"Our team fought on every occasion on the field and never gave up. Two years ago, the raw talent you saw has redefined and now competition has gone up. Where do you see in ICC awards winners, Pakistan players get the top 4 spots," Raja further said in the video.
Barring skipper Babar Azam, wicket-keeper batter Mohammad Rizwan and pacer Haris Rauf, none of the Pakistani players managed to impress in the series. For quite a few players, the strategy going forward would be go back to the drawing board and enter the T20 World Cup 2022 with a new approach.