Pakistan’s recent loss to New Zealand in the Tri-Nation Series final has sparked a heated debate, with former cricketer Ahmed Shehzad pointing fingers at captain Mohammad Rizwan. The Men in Green suffered a five-wicket defeat in Karachi, just weeks before the ICC Champions Trophy 2025. Shehzad, never one to hold back, criticized the team’s leadership and decision-making. Speaking on his YouTube channel, Shehzad called Pakistan’s tactics “brainless” and questioned why they opted to bat first. He pointed out that previous matches had shown the pitch gets better for batting under lights. He slammed on Rizwan, calling it a clueless decision, adding that Rizwan and the management failed to read the conditions properly. Shehzad also slammed Pakistan’s lack of a solid game plan. He remarked that the team seems to rely on the opposition’s poor performance rather than its own strengths. He said, “It was a mind-boggling decision (to bat first) because we had seen in the previous match that the pitch becomes better to bat on in the night, the ball doesn’t grip on the surface for the spinners. Still, the Pakistan team decided to bat first. Brainless decision, they had no clue. In a final, you are making childish decisions...you are making so many mistakes in matches. You get a chance to win only when the opposition performs below par or don’t have their main players playing." He further stated that Pakistan’s approach would only work against weaker teams, not against strong opponents like New Zealand. Read also: Champions Trophy 2025: Security Breach & PCB’s Financial Strain Batting Collapse and Leadership Concerns Apart from tactical errors, Shehzad pointed out Pakistan’s dismal batting performance. The team could only manage 242 runs, with key players failing to deliver. Babar Azam, despite looking in good touch, threw his wicket away at a crucial moment. Rizwan and Salman Ali Agha tried to rebuild but couldn’t take Pakistan to a competitive total. New Zealand, in contrast, made light work of the chase. Tom Latham and Daryl Mitchell anchored the innings with well-paced fifties, exposing Pakistan’s weak bowling attack. The defeat, according to Shehzad, was a wake-up call for Rizwan and his men. He said, "You cannot go into a major tournament with such poor decision-making and expect to win." With the Champions Trophy looming, Pakistan has little time to fix its flaws. Shehzad urged the management to rethink its strategies before it’s too late.