Babar Azam, the captain of Pakistan, has only two fifty-scores in this World Cup. His leadership has been questioned, and he has been accused of being passive on the field. Image courtesy of B. Jothi Ramalingam
After losing to Afghanistan by an eight-wicket margin in the Cricket World Cup, Pakistan’s chances of reaching the semifinals are in jeopardy.After two wins to start the competition, it was the team’s third straight loss.
AFP Sport examines three areas where Babar Azam’s side is struggling:
World class bowling looks ordinary
Before the Asia Cup, Pakistan’s bowling was hailed as world-class, and when they held a potent India team to 266 all out in a game that was postponed at Pallekele, observers interpreted it as a serious warning to World Cup contenders.
However, crucial fast bowler Naseem Shah was sidelined with a shoulder injury two weeks prior to the main event.
Shaheen Shah Afridi, the team’s spearhead, has taken 10 wickets in five games in India but hasn’t had much of an influence so far. His 2-36 against India and 5-54 against Australia both came in defeats. He took two wickets in the opening victories over Sri Lanka and the Netherlands for a total of 103 runs.
In five games, Haris Rauf gave up 286 runs for eight wickets, while the spinners lacked bite on India’s slow, shifting surfaces. In five games, Shadab Khan, Usama Mir, Mohammad Nawaz, and Iftikhar Ahmed have combined for just six wickets, losing 502 runs.
Captaincy in question
One of the best white ball cricket batsmen, Babar Azam has two fifties at the World Cup. However, his leadership skills have come under scrutiny, and he has been accused of lacking assertiveness on the field.
The Pakistani media has frequently accused him of selecting people for his buddies.
“As far as captaincy is concerned, neither I nor my batting are under much pressure. After Monday’s loss to Afghanistan, Babar stated, “I strive to give my all in batting.
“While fielding, I consider being the captain, and while batting, I only consider the batting,” the player said.
Lack of planning
Because his team must play in front of crowds where Pakistani fans are essentially forbidden, Babar has gained some sympathy in India.
The group is essentially restricted to their lodgings after their playing and training responsibilities are over due to tight security.
Three different chairman have led the Pakistan Cricket Board in the last year, which has made it difficult to organize for the World Cup.
Mickey Arthur was appointed team director by the former chairman Najam Sethi, who also retained his position as Derbyshire county manager in England.
While leading the team from the UK, he received criticism as a “Zoom coach” in several publications.
With Naseem and Shaheen playing in all three forms, Pakistani administrators have also been accused of failing to manage the workload of their fast bowlers.
Hasan Ali was called back to Pakistan after Naseem’s most obvious alternatives, Ihsanullah and Mohammad Hasnain, proved to be unsuitable.
“Since you had trouble finding a coach and preferred foreigners, you decided to hire an online coach.