Afghanistan has everything going right for them, as they have already defeated the finalists of the T20 World Cup 2023. This young team has shown that passion and dedication can overcome all odds. On the other hand, Pakistan has demonstrated that they are struggling in the Cricket World Cup 2023.
Some might even say that this is the most uninspiring Pakistan cricket team to ever compete in the World Cup. For a while, Pakistan seemed to have a quality bowling attack, but when performance matters the most, the wheels of this Pakistan bowling attack have fallen off.
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Not to mention, fielders aren’t helping the team either. Disappointed by Pakistan’s fielding efforts, their head, Mickey Arthur, decided to step away from the sidelines to hide his frustration. Losing isn’t a crime, but not putting up a fight will certainly hurt everyone involved with the team.
It was a good decision to bat first after winning the toss, but the pitch improved as the match progressed. Pakistani batsmen allowed an eighteen-year-old spinner to dictate the terms. Babar Azam scored 74 runs, but he was fortunate not to lose his wickets multiple times.
They batted cautiously but lacked intent. Contrast this with the way Afghanistan’s two young openers played. They were consistent, constantly looking for runs to put Pakistan under pressure. Their 130-run partnership for the first wicket put Afghanistan well ahead in the game.
Pakistan needed a strong start with the ball, but they kept serving deliveries outside the off stump to the Afghanistani openers. The young openers capitalized on these opportunities. Babar Azam himself fielded poorly, and as a captain, one cannot afford that.
He should have led from the front, but he seemed not up to the task in this tournament. There may be many excuses for the entire team, but not giving their personal best can’t be justified. As the saying goes, determination must be there to perform well for your team.
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Afghanistan had three consecutive fifty-run partnerships, which was a game-changer. Jonathan Trott said a few days ago that the talent is there, and it’s all about performing together at once. He must be quite pleased because his team did just what he asked of them.
From hereon, Pakistan will find it difficult to make it into the top 4. Their two victories came against the Netherlands and Sri Lanka. The big challenge still lies ahead, and Pakistan doesn’t appear prepared for what’s coming their way.
