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Babar Azam recently reflected on Pakistan's campaign in the T20 World Cup 2022. Despite Pakistan reaching the final in T20 World Cup 2022, Babar Azam admitted the loss against Zimbabwe stung more than the defeat to arch-rivals India. Babar feels despite playing good cricket against Zimbabwe they lost the game and that is the reason it was more painful than the defeat against India.
Babar Azam reflects on Pakistan's T20 World Cup 2022 heartbreak
Pakistan's 2022 World Cup campaign was a rollercoaster ride. After some early setbacks, they mounted an impressive comeback, ultimately reaching the final against England. The India match was indeed a heartbreaker, with Pakistan leading for most of the contest before a masterful knock by Virat Kohli snatched victory away.
Pakistan's 2022 World Cup campaign wasn't all smooth sailing. Following a heartbreaking loss to India, where they were in control for most of the match before Virat Kohli's heroics, things took a turn for the worse against Zimbabwe. Chasing a modest target of 131 runs, Pakistan crumbled under pressure after losing early wickets. Sikandar Raza's crucial double-wicket over further tilted the match in Zimbabwe's favor. The loss against a seemingly weaker opponent left Pakistan deflated.
However, the team displayed remarkable resilience. They bounced back from this setback, winning a string of matches that ultimately propelled them to the finals. Despite reaching the pinnacle, Babar Azam revealed a surprising sentiment during a recent interview with the PCB podcast. He confessed that the loss to Zimbabwe stung more than the defeat to India. He felt Pakistan played better cricket against Zimbabwe but were undone by a close encounter.
“In 2022, I feel we should have won the match against India, but they pulled it off in the end. Our loss against Zimbabwe was very hurtful. (on being asked if it hurts more than loss against India) Kind of, because we played good cricket in that game," Babar said.
“Even in the match with India, we played well and people praised us that we lost after putting up a fight. But I feel we could’ve won that match,” he added.
Pakistan's journey to the T20 World Cup 2022 final was marred not just by unexpected losses but also by a crucial player injury. During the final against England, Shaheen Afridi, their star pacer, was forced to leave the field due to injury. This left a significant gap in Pakistan's bowling attack, as Afridi had been a potent threat throughout the tournament. Babar Azam himself acknowledges this as a major turning point. He confessed that Shaheen Afridi's absence was a major factor in the outcome. He believes that a healthy Afridi could have significantly altered the course of the final, making it his biggest regret from the entire World Cup.
“What kept us from winning the final was Shaheen’s injury. If he hadn’t been injured, it could’ve been a different ball game. Because the pressure was on England at that time giving the spinner the over because of Shaheen’s injury made the difference. I regret that moment and often wonder, ‘What if?,” he added.
Babar Azam will be back at the helm as captain for the T20 World Cup 2024. They'll be looking to build on their impressive run in the 2022 edition, where they reached the final. The team kicks off their campaign on June 6 against the co-hosts, USA.
Pakistan's T20 World Cup squad
Babar Azam (c), Abrar Ahmed, Azam Khan, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Iftikhar Ahmed, Imad Wasim, Mohammad Abbas Afridi, Mohammad Amir, Mohammad Rizwan, Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub, Shadab Khan, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Usman Khan.
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