Pakistan's skipper, Babar Azam, expressed on Sunday that the team's batting performance was the reason they did not progress to the Super Eight stage of the Twenty20 World Cup. He offered apologies to the fans for not advancing. Pakistan experienced a significant upset when they were defeated by the United States, a lower-tier cricket nation, in a Super Over. Following a subsequent loss to their rivals, India, Pakistan faced a daunting task to move forward. India and the United States secured the two spots in the Super Eight from Group A, while Pakistan ended in third place after a challenging three-wicket win over Ireland. Babar addressed the crowd after the match in Florida, saying, 'Thank you for your support, and I apologize for our performance... I understand the disappointment felt by the fans and the team. This is not the fault of any single player; we all share the blame.' Babar had previously resigned from his captaincy across all formats after Pakistan's failure to reach the knockout phase of the 50-overs World Cup in India the previous year. However, he was reappointed as the leader for the white-ball formats prior to the Twenty20 tournament in the U.S. and West Indies. Amidst the team's underwhelming performances, rumors of internal conflicts emerged, and the Pakistan Cricket Board's chief announced plans for 'major surgery' on the team following their elimination. Pakistan's batting was notably disappointing, as they were unable to capitalize on the powerplay overs and failed to form significant partnerships. Babar commented, 'The pitches here slightly favored the fast bowlers, but our batting simply did not perform. We lost two crucial games despite being in control.' All-rounder Imad Wasim suggested a complete overhaul of the team's approach to white-ball cricket, which Babar supported, stating, 'Each player must reflect, as cricket has become very fast-paced. In modern cricket, game awareness is crucial,' he added, 'The strike rate here is low... It's about game awareness and common sense.'
Text: Lara Palmer
17.06.2024
Pakistan's Captain Reflects on Batting Failures and Team's Early Exit from the Tournament