Veteran Pakistani all-rounder Abdul Razzaq has blamed Twenty20 captain Mohammad Hafeez for the team's disastrous exit from the ICC World Twenty20 in Bangladesh and has called for his axing as skipper of the squad.
Razzaq, who has played 46 Tests, 265 ODIs and 32 T20s, has been mostly shunned from the team since Hafeez took over as the captain in 2012 following their public fallout after the last World T20 in Sri Lanka.
According to The Nation, Razzaq called for the removal of Hafeez as captain as he believes Hafeez pursued a policy of personal likes and dislikes while selecting the team and also slammed the national selectors for remaining 'silent spectators', adding that Hafeez was unable to handle the pressure against India and the West Indies
Razzaq, still rated as one of Pakistan's top all-rounders in T20 and ODI cricket, said he was appalled at the way the team had batted against the West Indies, adding that there was no game plan and the team was afraid to play positively, which let them down.
Razzaq also lashed out at former Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Mohammad Zaka Ashraf for being responsible for his ouster from the national team and also for selecting Hafeez as captain, adding that Hafeez has always ignored merit while selecting players and never allowed new players to settle down.
The all-rounder also said the PCB and new selectors now need to take some strong decisions and start preparing the team for the 2015 ODI World Cup in Australia and New Zealand with a new leader.