Pakistan team is knocked out of World Cup 2023 after failing to chase the target of 338 against England on November 11. It’s been 5th time Pakistan failed to secure spot in top 4 teams and qualifying to semi-finals. Their performance is topic of discussion from the start of World Cup 2023. Many questions has been raised by Fans, Media and Former Players around Player Selection, Team Management, Babar Azam’s Captaincy and even Pakistan Cricket board.
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Inconsistent Batting
Pakistan’s batting line-up was heavily reliant on captain Babar Azam and opener Fakhar Zaman for runs. When these two players failed to perform, the rest of the lineup struggled to pick up the slack. This was particularly evident in their losses to India and England, where Azam and Zaman were both dismissed cheaply. Even Babar and Fakhar were not able to score much in most of their games if compared to openers of other teams and their performance.
Naseem Shah’s Injury
Pakistan is known for great bowling attack in the world. In every world their bowling is considered one of the best with lethal pacers. Naseem Shah’s injury ahead of World Cup broke the Back of attack as he was good at taking early wickets and give path to Shaheen and Haris. His absence put lot pressure on Shaheen and Haris.
Poor Bowling Choices
In World Cup 2023 Pakistan’s bowling attack was also inconsistent, with no one bowler consistently performing well. The bowlers struggled to take wickets in the middle and late overs, which allowed opposing teams to post large scores. This was particularly costly in losses to South Africa and Australia, where the team conceded over 300 runs in both matches.
Pakistan lacked quality spinners in World Cup 2023. Shadab was considered main spinner but he has been failing to make any impact. He got only 2 wickets in 6 matches giving more runs than the economy of 6 runs. Babar brought in Iftikhar and Nawaz as spinner’s but they too failed. Spinner’s were always on receiving end.
Poor Fielding and Costly Mistakes
Pakistan made a number of fielding errors throughout the tournament, which cost them runs and wickets. These errors were particularly costly in close matches, where even a few runs or wickets could have made the difference. In Pakistan Vs Bangladesh Pakistan dropped a number of catches in their loss to Bangladesh, which allowed the opposition to post a match-winning score.
Lack Of Experience and Mental Toughness
Pakistan’s team also struggled mentally at times, particularly in close matches. They were unable to handle pressure. Their Match against arch-rival India exposed their weaknesses of dealing pressure, the middle order collapsed easily. Also this was evident in the number of times that the team collapsed, or failed to chase down a target that looked to be within their reach. For example, Pakistan collapsed from a strong position in their loss to India, and also failed to chase down a relatively modest target in their loss to South Africa.
Unwanted Excuses and Buzz By Pakistan
Pakistan players were not more concentrated toward games, rather enjoying parties without giving importance to health, performance and practice. Players also involved in politics and internal conflicts rather focusing on games. M. Rizwan dedicated his century to Palestine. ICC asked to remove the tweet but refused to do so.
Team management blamed that they were denied Beef in India and it affected performance of players. Coach Mickey Arthur blamed that “Dil Dil Pakistan” song was not played at stadium deliberately which resulted in low moral of players. Jealous from India’s Performance former player Hasan Raza blamed India and ICC that different Balls are given to Indian Cricket Team.
All these comments were not well taken by cricket community and the Gentle Man’s Game was missing Gentle Men Spirit.
