Could Pakistan have beaten India? ‘Not even if Dhoni was captain,’ says Sana Mir
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Cricketer-turned-commentator Sana Mir has said that even a charismatic leader such as M S Dhoni would not have rescued the Pakistan cricket team that has bowed out of the ICC Champions Trophy with successive losses.
Mir, who captained the Pakistan women’s team, said during an analysis show that the selectors had not picked the best 15-member squad for the premier 50-over event. Pakistan is the primary host of the Champions Trophy, but the matches involving India are played in Dubai due to the BCCI’s (Board of Control for Cricket in India) refusal to send its national team across the border over security concerns.
Pakistan, led by Mohammad Rizwan, began with a 60-run defeat to New Zealand in Karachi before suffering a 6-wicket loss to arch-rivals India in Dubai. Pakistan will play their final group match against Bangladesh in Rawalpindi on Thursday.
“The 15 that have been selected, even if you make MS Dhoni or Younis Khan (former Pakistan skipper) captain, nobody can do anything because it has not been selected on the basis of the playing conditions,” Mir said. Dhoni led India to two World Cup titles, besides the Champions Trophy success in 2013.
“I was watching the match when I got a message from a friend that India are 100 for 2 'I think it's over'. So, I said the match was over when the squad was announced,” Mir said.
The former player has claimed that going to Dubai with inexperienced spinners was a big mistake. Indian spinners claimed five of the ten wickes, with Kuldeep Yadav taking three. For Pakistan, young leg spinner Abrar Ahmad was the most successful, with 1/28 from his 10 overs.
“They (selectors) knew that Pakistan had to play at least one match in Dubai, so how did you bring two part-time spinners? Abrar, who is still new in ODI cricket... in the last five months, they have taken two wickets, conceding 165 runs. The selectors removed key players who played in last two series against Australia and South Africa,” Mir said.