"Definitely needs to work on that" - Ramiz Raja on Shreyas Iyer's short-ball woes 

Former Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Ramiz Raja believes that Team India's middle-order batter Shreyas Iyer needs to improve his game against short-pitched deliveries.

Raja reckons that Iyer doesn't have the right technique to counter bouncers. He, however, did laud the right-handed batter for his impressive 82-run knock in India's 2023 World Cup encounter against Sri Lanka at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Thursday.

Speaking in a video shared on his YouTube channel, Ramiz said (2:20):

"Shreyas Iyer struggles against bouncers. He definitely needs to work on that. It's not that he is scared of short balls, but he does not play with the right technique. With that said, he did play a brilliant knock under pressure against Sri Lanka. He had got the message that he might be dropped if he failed in this match."

Iyer has struggled against bouncers and the bowlers have used it against him. However, addressing reporters after the Sri Lanka tie, Shreyas Iyer clarified that, in his mind, he doesn't have any problem facing short-pitched deliveries.

India completed a stunning 302-run win in the clash, bundling out Sri Lanka for a paltry score of 55. With the victory, Rohit Sharma and company became the first team to qualify for the 2023 World Cup semi-finals.

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"If Wanindu Hasaranga was there, they wouldn't have been in such a position" - Ramiz Raja on Sri Lanka's disappointing performance

In the same video, Ramiz Raja also spoke about how Sri Lanka were also bowled out for just 50 against India in the 2023 Asia Cup final before the 2023 World Cup.

He suggested that the Sri Lankan board must address several issues if they want their team to bounce back. Ramiz mentioned that injuries to key players like Wanindu Hasaranga have had a negative impact on the side's campaign.

He added (0:22):

"This is the second time that Sri Lanka got all out for 50-odd runs against India. They need to work on their fundamentals, from the process to domestic cricket, pitches, and quality of talent. They also need to look at players getting injured. If Wanindu Hasaranga was there, they wouldn't have been in such a position."

The cricketer-turned-commentator opined that if Sri Lanka fail to show some improvement in the near future, even their fans will turn their back on them.

He remarked (0:51):

"If Sri Lanka continue to play like this, and if they make this a routine, all the fans will no longer be interested. They are not like Bangaleshi fans. Also, nobody will rate them highly, which will hurt their pride."

With just two wins from seven games, Sri Lanka are currently languishing in seventh place in the 2023 World Cup points table.