Pakistan captain Babar Azam expressed regret on Sunday over the team's disappointing performance at the Twenty20 World Cup, acknowledging that their batting failures were a key factor in their failure to advance to the Super Eight stage.
The Green Shirts suffered a significant upset when they were defeated by the United States in a Super Over, followed by a defeat to arch-rivals India, leaving them unable to progress. Despite a hard-fought three-wicket win against Ireland, India and the US secured the Super Eight spots from Group A, with Pakistan finishing third.
Speaking after the match in Florida, Babar Azam apologized to the fans for the team's performance, stating, "Thank you so much for supporting us, and sorry for that performance… I know the fans and the team are saddened by this. It is not any one player’s fault. We all made a mistake."
Babar had resumed captaincy of the white-ball formats specifically for the T20 World Cup after stepping down from all three formats following Pakistan's failure to progress beyond the group stage in the 50-overs World Cup last year in India. Reports of internal discord within the team emerged during the tournament, prompting promises from the Pakistan Cricket Board for significant changes post-exit.
The batting department proved to be a major letdown for Pakistan, failing to capitalize on powerplay overs and struggling to build partnerships. Babar attributed their challenges to batting inconsistencies and missed opportunities in crucial matches they controlled.
Reflecting on the team's performance, Babar emphasized the need for a comprehensive re-evaluation of their approach to white-ball cricket, echoing sentiments expressed by all-rounder Imad Wasim. "Every player has to think, because cricket has become very fast. With modern cricket, you must have game awareness," he remarked, underscoring the importance of tactical acumen and adaptability in contemporary cricket.
Published in Dawn on June 20th, 2024.
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