'Rishabh Pant Pakistani hota toh bahar bethta?', Pakistan pacer makes BIG statement ahead of IND vs SA T20 World Cup 2022 clash

Fingers were raised at the Pakistan selection for the T20 World Cup after their horror defeat against Zimbabwe in the Super 12 clash. The Men in Green started off with a disappointing defeat against arch-rivals India which was followed up by the Zimbabwe loss making the country fans and former cricketers angry at the players. After a long list of critics slammed Babar Azam and Co. for their failures in the ongoing World Cup in Australia, fast bowler Wahab Riaz has also joined the party.

However, Riaz unlike others compared the squad depth with rivals Inda and suggested that Pakistan's lack of squad depth is also one of the reasons for their recent failures. ('Gadhe ko bhi BAAP banana padey...': Wasim Akram slams Babar Azam's Pakistan, questions Shoaib Malik's ouster)

"Agar aapka system strong hoga, toh ye baatein nahi hogi. Strong kaun karta hai? Jo hold karta hai. Ek selection ka process ye hai ki chaahe vo Amir ho, ya Umar Gul, ya Shoaib Akhar ya Sohail Tanvir hai, agar aapko criteria diya hai domestic cricket ka... agar usme wo perform karte hain, wo fit hai, toh unko khelna chahiye. (If your system is strong, people won't complain. There should be a selection process; for example, no matter if it's Amir or Umar Gul or Shoaib Akhtar or Sohail Tanvir, if your criteria is to judge domestic performances, you have to see whether they've performed there or not. If they have, and if they are fit, they should play)," Wahab said on 24 News HD.

After MS Dhoni, Rishabh Pant is the best wicketkeeper of India

"Iska misaal hamaare padosi mulk me hai. Rishabh Pant, India ka best wicketkeeper-batter MS Dhoni ke baad, jisne England aur Australia me sau kiya. Agar wo Pakistan me hota, wo kabhi bahar baithta World Cup me? Nahi baithta. India ne usko bithaaya, Dinesh Karthik ki jagah. Kyun? Unko pata hai Pant cricketer achha hai, but at that particular number, unko finisher chahiye. 2 chhakke maar lega, par agar match finish nahi karega toh ham haar jaayege. That's the way to go. (I'll give you an example from India. Rishabh Pant is India's best wicketkeeper-batter since Dhoni, he has hundreds in England and Australia. If he was in Pakistan, would he sit outside in a World Cup match? No chance. India kept him out for Dinesh Karthik. They know Pant is a good cricketer, but they also know that they need a finisher. That's the way to go)," Riaz explained.

Dinesh Karthik however has not got much to do in the T20 World Cup 2022 so far. Pant on the other hand is likely to wait for his chance to come. Riaz is somewhere right as Team India's squad depth is something one cannot ignore and selecting Karthik ahead of Pant justifies that the Men in Blue have that extra edge in quality players around them. India will take on South Africa in their third clash of T20 World Cup 2022 on Sunday (October 30) whereas Pakistan will take on Netherlands.