New Delhi: Intense training at an army camp, three full-fledged series in the build-up, the return of their talisman in the leadership role and the appointment of a World Cup-winning coach. Despite heading into the T20 World Cup 2024 in the best possible shape, Pakistan return empty-handed from the Americas after enduring a dismal campaign at the marquee event.
Pakistan Cricket Board left no stone unturned to create a conducive environment for the team to perform at their optimum level but it went in vain as the Men in Green failed to even get past the group stage.
The reinstatement of Babar Azam as the white-ball captain and the appointment of former India coach Gary Kirsten failed to spark a new life in the team, which looked disjointed and even disinterested at times.
The 2022 finalists looked doomed after losing against co-hosts and newcomers the United States in the opener. Reeling from the stunning Super-Over loss against the USA, things got from bad to worse for Babar Azam’s men, who lost a low-scoring thriller against arch-rivals India. The fact that Pakistan lost despite dominating the match for close to 35 overs, made the loss look even worse.
Now needing two wins out of the last two games and the USA to lose at least one of their remaining games, Pakistan prayed for a miracle. The 2009 winners huffed and puffed to victory against Canada to stay afloat in the tournament but rain gods showed no mercy to them as the washout in the game between USA and Ireland ended their faint hopes. Even in their last league win on Sunday, Ireland gave them a huge scare, almost upsetting the Men in Green.
As Pakistan return home with a lot of questions and unfulfilled hopes, let’s dissect their dismal campaign.
Dressing room rift
A healthy dressing room environment is necessary for a team to perform well on the field, which was not the case with the team. Throughout their campaign, several former players raised concerns about the negative atmosphere in the Pakistan dressing room.
Later, reports surfaced that there were three groups in th team – one led by Babar Azam, the second by Shaheen Shaheen Afridi and the third by Mohammad Rizwan. The return of veterans like Mohammad Aamir and Imad Wasim didn’t help the teams’s cause. The lack of chemistry between the players was clearly visible on the field,
Batting failure
While the bowlers did a decent job on bowling-friendly wickets in the USA, Pakistan batters failed to click as a unit. The top-order, in particular, failed to make the most of the powerplays and could not stitch big partnerships.
“The pitches here helped the fast bowlers a little but I think overall our batting did not click,” said skipper Babar Azam after Pakistan’s final match. “We lost two crucial matches even when we were in charge.”.
While Babar and Mohammad Rizwan amassed a combined 100 runs in four matches, the middle order comprising Fakhar Zaman (33 runs in four matches), Iftikhar Ahmed (23 runs in two matches), Usman Khan (20 runs in four matches). The all-rounders – Imad Wasim (19 runs in three matches) and Shadab Khan (44 in four matches) did little to help the team’s cause.
Timid attitude
Pakistan’s timid attitude was visible in all four matches. Even in the two victories, they lacked composure and calm heads with fear of failure clearly reflected in their performances.
Chasing a modest target of 107 against Ireland, Pakistani batters looked nervy and struggled to overhaul it. Former captain Inzamam-ul-Haq pointed out that the “fear of failure” was the main reason behind the dismal display.
“It looks like the players are so scared of losing that they are not willing to take risks or make bold decisions. This fear, according to him, led to a lack of aggression and confidence on the field,” Inzamam said.
T20 World Cup 2024: As Pakistan return home with a lot of questions and unfulfilled hopes, let’s dissect their dismal campaign. Cricket Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
