Karachi. Pakistan team is once again going to play the T20 World Cup under the captaincy of Babar Azam. The last time the team played in the final was a crushing defeat against England. Former Pakistan players do not expect a good performance from their team in the T20 World Cup starting Saturday in America.
Pakistan lost the T20 in Ireland and then lost 0-2 in England this week. Earlier, the New Zealand team, without many big players, drew 2-2 on home soil. “The team hasn’t got its combination right, which is their biggest problem,” said former captain Rashid Latif.
Latif believes that Pakistan need to use their spinners more with their batting variations. He said, “With the change in the team, the players have to be ready to change their role as needed.”
Veteran Javed Miandad, however, is expecting unexpected results. He said, “The performance of the team is contrary to expectations. This team has always performed well in the T20 World Cup. But they definitely need to improve quickly in some areas. The tournament is of 20 teams and in such a situation you cannot take anything lightly.
Many cricket fans were not happy with the selection or performance of Azam Khan, who was dismissed cheaply and dropped two catches at the Oval. Azam, who followed in the footsteps of his father Moeen Khan as a wicketkeeper-batsman, has been trolled on social media since Thursday. Apart from Azam, all-rounder Shadab Khan and lower-order batsman Iftikhar Ahmed are struggling to score runs. Fast bowlers like Naseem Shah and Mohammad Amir gave many runs against England.
Some Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) officials fear that if the team does not make it to the semi-finals of the World Cup, it will affect the preparations for the Champions Trophy. Pakistan has been awarded the host of Champions Trophy 2025. “The number of sponsors and broadcasters investing in Pakistan cricket could be adversely affected if the team does not perform well,” said an official.
Former player Basit Ali said, “I think Babar should bat at number three and Saim (Ayub) or Fakhar (Zaman) should open the innings with Mohammad Rizwan.”
Tags: Babar Azam, Javed Miandad, T20 World Cup
First published: June 1, 2024, 08:05 IST