Pakistan's wicketkeeper-batter Mohammad Rizwan acknowledged that while the team put in significant effort, their performance in the 2023 World Cup has fallen short of expectations. Pakistan faces a critical situation, standing on the verge of elimination as they prepare for their last league match against England in Kolkata on November 11.
To advance past New Zealand and secure the fourth spot, Pakistan must achieve a daunting victory over England by at least 287 runs. With 8 points from 8 matches, Pakistan's Net Run Rate is considerably lower than New Zealand’s, making the latter the favorites to clinch a semi-final berth.
Pakistan's campaign started promisingly with two initial wins, including a record-breaking World Cup chase against Sri Lanka in Hyderabad. However, a subsequent defeat to India in Ahmedabad seemed to derail their momentum, leading to four consecutive losses, a first in their World Cup history. Notably, one of these defeats was a surprising loss to Afghanistan.
The team regained some footing with a comprehensive victory over Bangladesh, followed by a fortuitous win against New Zealand in a rain-impacted match in Bengaluru. In this game, Pakistan triumphed by 21 runs under the DLS method, thanks to Fakhar Zaman's impressive century, despite New Zealand's imposing total of 401.
'If I am being honest, our team's performance hasn't lived up to our own expectations or our countrymen's in this tournament. We have not been able to play that kind of quality cricket. That's the reality. And that's why we ended up in a situation where we need other results to go our way," Rizwan told ICC.
"In the context of this World cup, I think the Bangladesh match was the only game where all our three departments fired together and we won that match easily.
"In the last 2-3 years, we have generally done well. Because of those results, our countrymen have given us a lot of love and support," he added.
Rizwan also mentioned that the narrow defeat to South Africa in Chennai, where Pakistan nearly defended a score of 270, was not disheartening but rather a motivator for the team. In this gripping encounter, young Mohammad Wasim Jr. and Shaheen Shah Afridi, who regained form, delivered standout performances.
"The South Africa game was the turning point. The momentum we got after that game was just fantastic. mean, yes, we defeated New Zealand, but the momentum we got was after the South Africa game," he added.
As the hosts of the 2025 Champions Trophy, Pakistan aims to conclude their World Cup journey positively, despite the semi-final berth seeming out of reach. Their focus is now on finishing strong in their final game against England, capping off their World Cup campaign with determination and pride.
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