Former Pakistan cricketer Kamran Akmal suggested that senior players should be sidelined and younger talent be given a chance to shine in T20 matches. Speaking during News programme ‘Aitraz Hai’, Kamran Akmal said that the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) should form a ‘professional’ team, citing the current team’s reliance on ‘hopes and prayers’. “We need to create a pool of 35-40 players, not just rely on 20-25 players,” Kamran Akmal said and added, “This can only be achieved by giving opportunities to new players in T20 cricket and preparing backup players.” He also suggested that senior players be sidelined for 8-10 months and focus on Test and ODI cricket, while new players are given a chance to prove themselves in T20 cricket. He emphasised the importance of developing a strong backup system, citing the lack of progress in the last 6-7 years. Kamran Akmal also pointed to India’s dominant performance against New Zealand, restricting them to under 250 runs, as an example of a well-organized team. He stressed that the PCB needs to adopt a more professional approach, focusing on merit-based team selection and developing a larger pool of players. Earlier, former pacer Shoaib Akhtar has slammed Pakistan cricket team following their disappointing loss to India, saying the national team lacks required skills to compete on the biggest occasion. During a recent cricket show, Shoaib Akhtar said, “We always speak about intent but I think they also lack skills. If they had skills, they wouldn’t have played like way.” He also expressed his discontent with the team’s management and captaincy during the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, labeling them as “clueless” and “brainless”. “Clueless management to be honest, brainless captaincy absolutely average team who displayed the skills there nothing to talk about it,” he added. Shoaib Akhtar taking a jibe at the team for their ‘successive’ failures in the past few years.