The Pakistan cricket team’s performance in the Cricket World Cup 2023 has been a major disappointment. Despite being considered one of the favorites, they only managed to win four out of nine games in the round-robin stage. Their campaign ended with a 93-run loss to England, leaving them with no chance of reaching the semifinals.
England set a challenging target of 338 runs for Pakistan to chase. However, it quickly became clear that surpassing the target in just 6.4 overs was practically impossible. What was even more disheartening was the lack of fight shown by the Pakistan top-order batsmen.
Former Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman and ex-captain, Ramiz Raja, expressed his disappointment with the team’s performance. He criticized the batting display, describing it as reminiscent of the cricket played in the 80s. Raja emphasized that Pakistan cannot hope to beat strong teams with their outdated approach to the game. He called for the team to address their negative mindset and faults, as many of the players are likely to remain in the squad for the next World Cup.
Raja also highlighted the team’s poor bowling performance and their inability to handle spin. He expressed surprise at a sub-continent team like Pakistan struggling against spinners. Losing to Afghanistan and India had a significant impact on their confidence. Raja criticized Pakistan’s lack of aggression when needed.
As for the game against England, they thoroughly enjoyed their victory over a demoralized Pakistan side. With this win, England secured seventh place in the 10-team table and qualified for the Champions Trophy in Pakistan in 2025.
Pakistan’s hopes of reaching the semifinals were shattered when England scored 337 runs in their innings. In response, Pakistan could only manage 244 runs, struggling against Adil Rashid’s googlies and David Willey’s swinging deliveries. Even if Pakistan’s batsmen had hit 40 consecutive sixes in 6.4 overs, they still would not have surpassed England’s total and New Zealand’s net run rate.
The disappointing aspect of Pakistan’s batting was their inability to handle the pressure of the scoreboard. Babar Azam and Mohammed Rizwan, who have been the backbone of Pakistan’s batting, failed to perform and allowed the game to drift away.
Overall, Pakistan’s performance in the Cricket World Cup 2023 has been a letdown, and there is a need for a mental lift and improvement in various aspects of their game before the next World Cup.
