The 43-year-old believes the current Pakistan captain's decision to field first went against his side's strength and recent history
Former Pakistan fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar has criticised the side's current captain Sarfraz Ahmed for his "brainless" captaincy in their 89-run defeat to India at Old Trafford on Sunday.
Sarfraz won the toss in Manchester and elected to bowl first as India piled on 336 runs from their 50 overs, while in reply Pakistan fell well short of their revised target of 302 in the rain-affected game.
The result, Pakistan's seventh consecutive World Cup loss to India, saw their captain's decision at the toss heavily criticised, with Akhtar stating that his decision went against the strengths of his team.
"I don't understand how can a captain be so brainless, couldn't Sarfaraz think that we don't chase well. Square of the wicket is dry, the wicket is not wet. Knowing the fact and your strength is not batting its bowling," Akhtar said on his official YouTube channel.
"Now when you had won the toss, you had won half the match there. But what did you do? You tried that we should not win this match. Yet again, brainless captaincy, utterly stupid management.
Akhtar heavily criticised Sarfraz after the India loss
"We don't have a history of chasing. Inzamam (ul-Haq), (Mohammad) Yousuf, Saeed Anwar and Shahid Afridi, all big batsman who were playing in this ground in 1999 and we had to make 227 and we weren't able to do that. So when you got the chance after winning the toss you should have batted."
However, the 43-year-old was also scathing in his assessment of the batsmen, who he said failed to use the conditions in the same manner as their Indian counterparts.
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"There was no thinking, one-dimensional players came to bat, but the toss was very crucial to win it and in that even if Pakistan scored 260 they would have done it because the pressure is on required run rate. But who would tell them?
"I think it's a very saddening and disheartening performance by Pakistan team's captain and that's why I was saying that use your head but he tried to not use his brain."
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