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Babar Azam, the world's top ODI batter, entered the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 with impressive credentials: over 5,500 runs in 113 matches, 19 centuries, and 30 fifties. Yet, the weight of Pakistan's expectations seemed to bear heavily on him.
After a disappointing exit from the Asia Cup, where arch-rivals India ousted them, Pakistan aimed to showcase their prowess in the World Cup, especially on their rival's home turf. However, the dream quickly turned sour. Four matches in, and Pakistan's chances of making the top four look bleak. Babar's form, too, has been underwhelming.
The team's loss to India was a blow, but their defeat to Australia raised eyebrows. The real shocker, however, was Afghanistan's dominant victory over Pakistan, a historic first for the Afghans. This defeat plunged Pakistan further down the World Cup points table.
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The emotional toll was evident. Mohammad Yousuf, former Pakistan cricketer, revealed, “I heard Babar Azam cried after the defeat against Afghanistan last night.” He added, “It’s not only Babar’s fault, the entire team and management are involved. We are with Babar Azam in this tough time and the entire nation is with him.”
Support for Babar flooded social media, with fans rallying behind their captain.
Reflecting on the match, Babar commented, “This hurts us. We had a good total. In the bowling, we aren’t up to the mark because we are not taking wickets in the middle overs. In the World Cup, if you are not good in even one department, then you’ll lose the match.
“In the field, we didn’t stop boundaries and gave away runs, that cost us. Bowling – we started well, in the middle overs, we needed wickets but we couldn’t take any wickets. All credit to Afghanistan the way they played in all three departments. That’s why they won. We are not playing good cricket in bowling and fielding.”
Pakistan faces a challenging journey ahead. To keep their semifinal dreams alive, they must secure wins in their upcoming matches against strong teams: England, South Africa, New Zealand, and Bangladesh. As the tension rises and the stakes get higher, all eyes are on the Men in Green to see how they bounce back.
As of now, in the 2023 World Cup leaderboard, Pakistan sits in fifth place with four points and a net run rate of -0.400, courtesy of their two victories in five games. Their next face-off is with South Africa on Friday, October 27, at Chepauk.
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