'Need some time off the game' - Former Pakistan player shares hard hitting message for Babar Azam's men after lossing to India in Super 4s

Pakistan faces a crucial Super 4 match against Sri Lanka in the Asia Cup for a final spot. Both teams have accumulated two points, making this match a virtual knockout game. This will also determine the finalist for the September 17 showdown. India has already secured a spot in the final after defeating Sri Lanka by 41 runs in a recent Super Four encounter.  The Rohit Sharma-led India team currently sits on top of the table with four points.

The heavy defeat has undoubtedly negatively impacted Pakistan's morale, and injuries to key players Naseem Shah and Haris Rauf have further compounded their situation. The authorities have ruled Naseem Shah out of the Asia Cup, and they have named Zaman Khan as his replacement. Despite the adversity, former Pakistan captain Ramiz Raja believes that the team should not dwell on the loss but instead focus on recovery and return fresh for the must-win clash against Sri Lanka, keeping their hopes alive for a spot in the final.

“India have given Pakistan a ray of hope with the win over Sri Lanka. Now we've to see if Pakistan can take benefit from that, or whether they will be low on spirits because of the defeat against India. They have a reserve day, so they need some time off the game to mentally switch off. They've got a good two-day rest period where they shouldn't think of cricket or the defeat but get together and talk,” Ramiz said on his YouTube channel.

Go to the pool and relax: Raja

In their recent Super 4 clash against arch-rivals India, Pakistan, led by Babar Azam, suffered a humbling defeat. Pakistan lost by a massive 228-run margin. India posted an imposing total of 356-2 in their 50 overs, driven by Virat Kohli's 47th century and KL Rahul's triumphant return to ODIs with his sixth century. The Pakistan team were restricted to 128 courtesy of Kuldeep Yadav's spin web. The Chinaman bowler took a five-wicket haul.

“If anyone needs special practice, they can take it. Go to the pool, relax. Don't touch social media, don't watch television channels.  Get united. You point fingers at each other after such defeats, that too against India. That shouldn't happen. I'm sure Babar Azam has united this team really well, and his work is to assure his players and get the team high in spirit ahead of the Sri Lanka clash,” the former Pakistan player concluded.