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Analysis: What’s wrong with Pakistan’s World Cup 2023 strategy?

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1 year ago

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CHENNAI: Three back-to-back defeats have put Babar Azam & Co’s World Cup campaign in disarray which seems to have become a hallmark of Pakistan cricket.

After the start they would’ve wanted in the World Cup by winning two games against the Netherlands and Sri Lanka, Pakistan was outclassed by India, Australia and Afghanistan which leaves them with four points from five games.

The Green Shirts will now play South Africa, Bangladesh, New Zealand and England – all the games are now must-win for them, if they want to qualify for the semis. 

It is mind-boggling to see how Pakistan has gone down from a world-class team to an unimpressive and hapless side in this tournament.

What happened in Ahmedabad during the game against India wasn’t unexpected, but it seems that Pakistan has failed to overcome that massive defeat by the hosts and then the loss against Australia added insult to their injuries.

India was the clear favourite, but Pakistan wasn’t as bad as they looked in that game, despite a reasonable start, Pakistan collapsed and were bowled out for a meagre 191 runs.

However, the game against Australia exposed two sides of the Pakistani bowling lineup. On the one hand, the bowlers delivered 152 dot balls while on the other hand, they conceded 367 runs in 50 overs.

Additionally, there seems to be a lack of planning and no effort is made to think out of the box.

Just a few months ago, Pakistan was termed the world’s best bowling attack, that best attack now seems to be nowhere. It is hard to digest that the reason for this lacklustre display of bowling is only because of Naseem Shah’s absence.

It may be one of the reasons, but who is to be blamed for the lack of situational awareness of the bowling attack?

It seems that we have systematically damaged the team ourselves, and now we are paying the price. 

Former captain Wasim Akram has rightly pointed out that our players are least interested in first-class cricket, and this is the reason they’re not as impressive in ODIs as they can be in T20Is.

Another problem Babar Azam is facing is a lack of serious effort from his teammates on the field. The three-dropped catches, especially the one dropped by Usama Mir that provided Warner with a lifeline in the game against Australia, and then unimpressive fielding during the game against Afghanistan put a question mark on the standard of fitness.

It may be a harsh assessment, but the Pakistan team’s fielding was worse than a local club team. No effort, no energy, no intent, no attitude. Nothing at all. They looked lethargic from the beginning.

It is high time for Mickey Arthur, Grant Bradburn and Babar Azam to rethink their strategy and shift gears.

Pakistan is down but still not out as the tournament is still wide open.

Pakistan must adopt and display the “Pakistan Way” which was talked about, instead of the traditional “Pakistan way,” which puts the team in a situation where they’ve to depend on ifs and buts to qualify for the last stages.

It may be late, but not too late, Pakistan management still has the time to wake up and put things in order.

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The BCCI has confirmed that Pakistan’s name will be on India’s jersey during the Champions Trophy.

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13 hours ago

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On Wednesday, the BCCI confirmed that Pakistan’s name would be put on India’s shirt.

According to Indian media, India’s shirt would incorporate the Champions Trophy emblem, which has been approved by the ICC. The Indian team will adhere to the International Cricket Council’s mega-event criteria.

The BCCI has underlined that the Indian squad will respect the ICC’s norms.

It is worth noting that the Champions Trophy begins on February 19.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) urged the ICC to severely enforce the BCCI’s policies.

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The Indian team must have the “Pakistan” logo on their uniforms, the ICC warns the BCCI.

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18 hours ago

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The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has received a warning from the International Cricket Council about its unwillingness to include the logo of Pakistan on the trophy kits of its winning team.

The International Cricket Council has given a strong message to the Indian board on this, according to Indian NDTV.

As part of its host nation policy, the Indian board claimed that it was not interested in having Pakistan’s name appear on their team uniform. However, the ICC rejected this claim.

In reality, the ICC has urged the Indian board to clarify that, since the country was the tournament’s original host, the Indian squad must have “Pakistan” printed on their uniform.

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BCCI disregards tradition; Pakistan absent from Champions Trophy 2025 jerseys

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2 days ago

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India’s preparations for the forthcoming ICC Champions Trophy 2025 have been marred by tensions between the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).

In a deviation from convention, the Indian team, captained by Rohit Sharma, would omit Pakistan’s name off their shirts, despite the event being hosted by Pakistan.

This action occurs against a backdrop of intensifying political and security conflicts between the two cricketing powerhouses.

Although the Champions Trophy is scheduled to occur in Pakistan, India has chosen to establish its squad in Dubai, citing persistent security apprehensions in the host country. This move has faced criticism from the PCB, which saw it as a diplomatic affront.

A PCB official denounced the action, alleging that the BCCI is politicizing cricket. The official stated, “India’s refusal to participate in Pakistan, coupled with their decision to withhold their captain from the opening ceremony, constitutes a direct affront to the event’s integrity.”

The omission of Pakistan’s name from the Indian squad’s shirts is perceived as an effort to diminish the host nation, representing a departure from the customary inclusion of the host country’s name on team attire.

The official articulated apprehensions that these measures would compromise the integrity of the competition. The BCCI is introducing politics into cricket, which is harmful to the sport. They declined to travel to Pakistan and are now unwilling to send their skipper to the opening ceremony. Reports indicate that they prefer not to feature the host nation’s name on their shirts. The official expressed a desire for the ICC to intervene and avert additional politicization, urging the sport’s governing body to take action.

The rivalry escalates as the two nations ready themselves for a critical confrontation in the tournament. India’s group-stage itinerary features a highly anticipated encounter with Pakistan on February 23, succeeded by a match against New Zealand on March 2. This event will signify India’s reentry into ICC play since their 2013 Champions Trophy victory under former captain MS Dhoni.

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