When you look at Pakistan’s performance against the USA in the T20 World Cup, there are no two ways about it. Babar Azam and his men seemed completely clueless and they were rightfully outclassed by a spirited USA side that had nothing lose but so much to gain. As the pundits rightfully pointed it out, over the course of 40 overs and two Super Overs, USA deserved the win in the end.
What followed after the game was a lot of finger-pointing from the fans and critics as the Pakistan players received a lot of stick for the drab performance. However, as Ian Bishop put in his tweet, he asked the Pakistan team to pick themselves up and keep the faith in themselves. Now, as they head to New York and the Nassau stadium, the game against India suddenly becomes a must-win one, especially after Canada defeated Ireland.
However, they need to make a few changes in order to challenge the Indian team and potentially beat them for all the points.
A more responsible Babar Azam
Love him or hate him, Babar Azam is one of the finest talents that cricket has ever produced. The Pakistan skipper has the numbers to back it up and is always a key player in any contest. However, the performance in the USA game was underwhelming.
Wasting the powerplay overs and being at 4 off 14 balls at one point, certainly didn’t help his team, who were eyeing a big total. But, what was more frustrating was sitting through the press conference after the game.
Babar refused to put his hand up and talk about his own performance. He went on to blame everyone else and the team’s mindset, but nothing was talked about his own batting. While he may now be the player with the most runs in T20Is, they won’t matter much if Pakistan fails in a second consecutive white-ball World Cup.
A lot more accountability is required from the Pakistan skipper on and off the field, especially when the result isn’t what they expected in the end.
Back your horses for courses policy
Why was the Super Over given to Mohammad Amir, someone who had just returned to international cricket after a 4-year hiatus? Why did Fakhar Zaman not take strike in the Super Over when left-arm pacer Saurabh Netravalkar was bowling?
These were some of the questions Mohammad Hafeez raised after the loss to USA, and they do seem to be valid. Before the start of the tournament, Pakistan came out saying they would back the players according to the situation and yet, the USA game proved that wasn’t the case.
Against India, they cannot afford to do this and the right players should do the important jobs. When you need a big wicket, turn to Shaheen Shah Afridi and Naseem Shah. When you need some quick runs in the middle and death overs, let Fakhar or Iftikhar Ahmed do the heavy lifting for the side.
India will have their plans chalked out and if Pakistan are to trump that, they will need to stick to their word in the end.
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Take Azam and Shadab away from the storm
Azam and Shadab Khan are two fine talents of the game. However, their current run of form isn’t the best at the moment. Azam, the son of the legendary Moin Khan, has been criticised since the England series, where his batting and wicketkeeping came under the scanner.
After his dismissal in the USA game, Azam was even spotted having a go at the fans who were teasing him. Shadab, on the other hand, was probably one of the first names on the team sheet a few years ago.
A spin king on his day, gun fielder and an impact player with the bat, he has changed the course of many games single-handedly. Right now, he hasn’t been in the best of form and Pakistan management rightfully needs to make the call to take him away.
Imad Wasim, who missed the first game due to injury, should be coming in to the lineup and he can be the ideal replacement for Shadab at this time. His left-arm spin can trouble the likes of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma early on and the all-rounder is a very handy customer with the bat.
The same can be done with Azam, who seriously needs to be away from the limelight. With Mohammad Rizwan being behind the stumps, Azam should be replaced by Usman Khan, who has been a revelation in PSL.
The game on Sunday, June 9, will be significant for Pakistan. And this is not just for the T20 World Cup 2024 campaign but for their future ahead. The new management and Babar needs to step up their game along with the players, else the turmoil that seems to have gripped Pakistan cricket in recent times will be set to continue.