Pathetic. That was the word Wasim Akram had used for Pakistan after they lost to the USA. I wonder what word he or anyone would use after Sunday night. Every adjective would actually fall short in describing how limp Pakistan were.
I had predicted a Pakistan win soon after Babar Azam won the toss. On a wicket where batting was hugely difficult, the toss was always expected to play a major role. And it did. India, despite a very good start, folded for 119, a total most good teams would be expected to overhaul. Pakistan could assess the situation and plan what to do. The game was theirs to lose. And they did.
Babar, who batted at No. 3 in nine of 14 innings before the start of the T20 World Cup, had restored himself to the top of the order. It was a selfish call from a captain who has given enough headaches to his fans and to the establishment that appointed him. And on Sunday, he did little, surviving a caught-and-bowled chance off Mohammed Siraj before being outfoxed by Jasprit Bumrah.
But that’s not the point. Even after Babar was out, the game was very much in the bag. One sensible knock and India would have been out of it. The win predictor on the broadcast said Pakistan at 92 per cent when they were 71-2 in the 12th over. But not one Pakistan batter decided to attack once Fakhar Zaman succumbed to a reckless charge and top edge. No one could do a Rishabh Pant, and gradually, the asking rate climbed to 10 an over on a track where run-scoring was never easy.
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And with Bumrah spitting fire, Pakistan had thrown India a lifeline. Rohit sensed an opportunity, and immediately went back to the ace in his pack. And the best bowler in the world did not disappoint. The moment Rizwan was castled, Pakistan seemed under pressure. Excellent bowling from the Indians in the next few overs meant Arshdeep had 18 to defend in the last over. The game was all but over for Pakistan, and that’s what brings me to my three straight questions:
- Should Babar take responsibility and resign? For, clearly, the team isn’t with him in any which way.
- Is this one of the worst Pakistan teams of all time? This was a team that once had Wasim, Waqar Younis, Shoaib Akhtar and others. Why can’t they be competitive at the international level?
- Most importantly, what is the Pakistan Cricket Board’s stance on all this? Ask any journalist in Pakistan, and he or she will tell you that the team is run based on favouritism, and that a lot of players who are deserving of an opportunity are continuously overlooked.
I repeat what I had said in an earlier piece. World cricket needs a strong Pakistan, and much like India, the game would be poorer without them. This World Cup, for example, would lose half its sheen if Pakistan don’t make the Super Eights. But then, to be relevant, Pakistan have to perform. Show some fight and some pluck. Take pride in being Pakistan, historically one of the best teams.
From what we have seen in this tournament, they lack everything – passion, courage and, most importantly, the desire to win. It starts at the top and is now a deep malaise. May be it’s time to look beyond Babar, and make a fresh start. Take a long hard look and reassess. Whatever it is, the fans deserve better, and sadly for them, there is no light visible at the end of a long dark tunnel. At the cost of sounding dramatic, may we say that Pakistan cricket died in New York last night, and the ashes were immersed in the Atlantic. It’s a long road back from oblivion.