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Where do Pakistan stand as World Cup gets closer?

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The Pakistan cricket team under the leadership of skipper Babar Azam failed to impress during the Asia Cup 2023 — the first substantial test of the Green Shirts in the One Day Internationals (ODIs).

Obvious flaws were seen from the very first game of the tournament, especially in batting and fielding but no improvements were made.

Pakistan’s top-order Fakhar Zaman, Imam-ul-Haq and Azam could not perform in accordance with expectations in the Asian event, which has raised serious concerns among the cricketing circles.

Here are the stats of them in the Asia Cup 2023:

PlayerRunsInnings /Average
Fakhar Zaman654 / @ 16.25
Imam ul Haq923 / @ 30.66
Babar Azam2074 / @51.75

It has to be mentioned that out of the 207 runs Azam scored, 151 came against Nepal while against the rest of the three teams (Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and India) he only managed to score a total of 56 runs.

Meanwhile, Abdullah Shafique only got a chance to bat in one match, which was a must-win encounter against Sri Lanka but the 24-year-old delivered, playing a classy knock which included his maiden ODI half-century and making his case for the World Cup 2023 much stronger.

Another positive from Pakistan’s batting was the consistent display from Mohammad Rizwan and Iftikhar Ahmed.

The wicketkeeper batter scored 195 runs in four innings at an impressive average of 97.50 which included a match-winning half-century against Bangladesh in the first Super Four encounter and another crucial knock of 86 runs against Sri Lanka in a must-win match.

Iftikhar also impressed with the bat, scoring 179 runs in three innings. His 47 off 40 against the Islanders were crucial as he helped the Green Shirts survive after an early collapse.

All in all, Pakistan would need to assess their options to fix their batting lineup. With Abdullah delivering and Saud Shakeel — who plays spin well — still yet to be tested, the Green Shirts, to an extent, can bring stability to their struggling batting.

Another big concern for the Pakistani team is the subpar performance of all-rounders, Shadab Khan, Mohammad Nawaz and Faheem Ashraf.

Shadab is the vice-captain of the team and the 24-year-old failed to step up big time when Pakistan required him the most.

In the Asian event, Shadab batted in three innings and he scored a total of 13 runs at an average of 4.33. Meanwhile, with the ball, he bowled 250 balls and conceded 245 runs while taking six wickets.

Out of his six wickets, four came against Nepal, who were the Asia Cup debutants.

Other than Shadab, Faheem batted in one inning scoring four runs. While he bowled in two innings, bowling a total of 102 balls and conceding 101 runs with only two wickets to his name.

Nawaz is another name that underperformed in spinning conditions. He batted in one inning and scored 12 runs. Meanwhile, with the ball, the left-armer bowled 102 balls and conceded 94 runs but failed to give Pakistan a breakthrough as he only bagged one wicket.

The stats are quite worrying, and with players like Usama Mir sitting on the bench and the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 less than 20 days ahead, the Green Shirts need to analyse their options and fix their starting XI.

However, amid the chaos, Pakistan managed to justify the “Land of Pacers” tag as the pace trio of Shaheen Shah Afridi, Haris Rauf and Naseem Shah picked 26 wickets in the Asia Cup.

Shaheen, who is considered arguably the most dangerous bowler with the new ball, picked ten wickets in five innings. Haris bagged nine while Naseem got seven to his name.

Although, another big blow that must have left the already-shattered Pakistani team devastated was ESPNcricinfo’s news stating that pacer Naseem Shah is likely to miss the entire World Cup following a shoulder injury.

Pakistan have many pacers who can possibly cover for the 20-year-old with Zaman Khan and Shahnawaz Dahani leading the charts.

Pakistan are likely to announce their squad for the mega event soon and it would be interesting to see who makes the cut. 

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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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