Haris Rauf slams critics after Pakistan lose 2nd T20I vs New Zealand, says 'people wait for us to lose'
Pakistan fast bowler Haris Rauf has backed youngsters in the team and has asked the critics and fans to keep patience. Pakistan went down to New Zealand in the second T20I as well to go 0-2 down in the five-match series today.
Haris Rauf slammed the critics after Pakistan lost the second T20I to New Zealand today at the University Oval in Dunedin. They are now 0-2 down in the five-match series and are in a must-win situation for the rest of the series. The visitors have sent an inexperienced squad for the shortest format this time as Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan have been dropped.
However, the youngsters are yet to come to the party as Pakistan were shot for just 91 runs in the series opener. While they put up a decent show in the second game, their efforts weren't enough at all as New Zealand romped to victory in the rain-hit clash. Moreover, the likes of Hasan Nawaz, Mohammad Haris, Irfan Khan and Abdul Samad among others are yet to make an impact in the series.
But after two consecutive losses, the team is under the scanner with critics slamming them for a poor show. For the same reason, Rauf didn't seem pleased with the criticism as he felt the youngsters should be backed and given enough time to prove their mettle instead of putting constant pressure on them after a couple of failures.
"You talk about criticism, I think it has become common in Pakistan. These are young players. You go to any place, any team in the world, they give the youngsters full freedom. If they give the youngsters a chance, they make sure to give them 10 to 15 matches at a stretch. That is how they become players.
"Everyone who comes into international cricket struggles initially. You talk about criticism, it's become a norm. Everyone just sits and waits for the Pakistan team to lose so that they can talk about it. They have their opinions, but we are trying to build our team. We are trying to draft the youngsters in, the seniors are also there. As seniors, we motivate our juniors, and advise them about what's required to succeed in international cricket. The quicker they learn, the better it will be for them," Rauf said after the match.
The third T20I between Pakistan and New Zealand will be played on March 21 at the Eden Park in Auckland.