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

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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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Shaheen Shah Afridi acknowledges difficulties during the death overs.

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Following Pakistan’s triumph over South Africa in the tri-nation series, Shaheen Shah Afridi acknowledged the issue of death bowling.

In response to the injury concern, the left-arm pacer stated, “My finger is fine; I underwent an X-ray.” Some swelling persists, but I anticipate improvement shortly. These matches are essential for preparation for the Champions Trophy 2025.

Commenting on his interaction with a South African batsman, Shaheen stated, “For the first time, he remained silent.” I was the one instigating him to lose his wicket.

Prioritizing collective effort over personal achievements, Shaheen stated, “This is not about Babar or Shaheen—it is about Pakistan.” “The presence of negativity will hinder progress in any context.”

During Wednesday’s match, tensions escalated when Shaheen Shah Afridi confronted Matthew Breetzke, necessitating intervention from the on-field umpire and other players to separate them.

During a crucial tri-series encounter at Karachi’s National Stadium, South African batsman Matthew Breetzke and Pakistani pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi engaged in a contentious confrontation. Matthew Breetzke and Shaheen Shah Afridi were engaged in a confrontational exchange in a video that gained widespread attention on social media.

Matthew Breetzke, who scored a century in the previous match against New Zealand in Lahore, edged a delivery to the onside in the 28th over of the innings. Shaheen Afridi appeared displeased when the 26-year-old nearly collided with the left-arm fast bowler while dashing between the wickets to converse with Breetzke.

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The Champions Trophy and Tri-Nation series traffic strategy for Karachi has been released.

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While alternate routes and designated parking spots have been set up to ensure seamless traffic flow, the traffic police say Sir Shah Suleman Road would remain open for regular traffic on match days.

Travellers from Karsaz can park their cars beneath the flyover at the China Ground and National Coaching Centre.

Parking for those travelling from Millennium will also be available at China Ground and the National Coaching Centre.

The same parking lots are open to New Town visitors.

To prevent any disruption, Karachi Police have stressed that cars should only be parked in approved spots. For a hassle-free commute on match days, commuters are encouraged to plan their routes appropriately and heed traffic police instructions.

Traffic Diversions: To alleviate congestion on match days, heavy traffic will be rerouted from Sohrab Goth to Nipa and Liaquatabad No. 10 to Hassan Square. There will also be a rerouting of heavy vehicles from People’s Chowrangi via University Road.

Heavy Traffic Restricted Roads: The following roads will not be open to heavy traffic:

Millennium to New Town Stadium Signal to Hassan Square Karsaz to Stadium

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FIFA once again suspends membership in the Pakistan Football Federation.

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Pakistan was immediately barred from participating in international tournaments as a result of the ruling, and FIFA stopped providing financial support.

FIFA said in a statement that the PFF’s refusal to enact changes that would guarantee free and fair elections was the reason for the suspension. FIFA claimed that in order to fulfill the federation’s responsibilities under the current normalization process, the constitutional amendments were required.

According to FIFA’s statement, “the suspension will only be lifted if the PFF Congress approves the version of the PFF Constitution presented by FIFA and the AFC.”

In the past, FIFA and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has suggested changes to the PFF Constitution, namely with relation to the election procedure. But the most recent censure came after the PFF Congress rejected the suggested changes.

The PFF was not the first time FIFA had taken action against them. The governing body suspended the federation in April 2021 for violating FIFA laws and allowing excessive third-party meddling. After verifying that the Normalization Committee had reclaimed control of the PFF’s offices and finances, FIFA lifted the ban in June 2022.

Issues with governance remained in spite of earlier attempts. In order to guarantee fair elections and sound governance within the PFF, FIFA has recently stepped up its efforts to modify the constitution. Nevertheless, opposition from the PFF Congress resulted in thelatest disciplinary action.  

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