Pakistan wrapped up their 2024 ICC T20 World Cup journey with a close three-wicket win over Ireland in their final Group A match in Florida on Sunday. Captain Babar Azam and his team are facing intense criticism after an unexpected early exit from the tournament, with concerns being raised about Babar Azam's captaincy. He was reinstated as skipper before the tournament after relinquishing the captaincy following a poor ODI World Cup campaign last year.
Babar Azam's On His Future Captaincy
In a post-match press conference after the game against Ireland, Babar addressed the captaincy issue. He stated that the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) would review the campaign at home and decide on the team's future leadership. He emphasized that his reinstatement as captain was a decision made solely by the PCB and noted that one player cannot be blamed for the loss, as it is always a collective failure.
"Jahaan tak captaani ki dekhe toh pahle maine chori toh mujhe laga ki ab nahi karni chahiye, toh maine chor di. Maine khud announce kiya tha. Wapas jab diya hai woh PCB ka faisla hai, unhone di hai. Ab hum jayenge, jitni bhi yahaan huwi hai baithke discussion karenge aur yeh faisla baad me.. Jab chorni hogi toh main aise hi khule aam bataunga, jo hoga saamne hoga. Filhaal ispe maine kuch socha nahi hai. Jo faisla hai woh PCB karegi," Babar said.
Babar expressed his disappointment about the team's early exit, acknowledging the collective failure rather than blaming individuals. He noted the team's struggle to synchronize performances; when the bowlers excelled, the batting lineup faltered.
"Dukh jitna aap ko hai, usse jyada humein hai. Players, management sabko dukh hai. Hum waisi cricket nahi khel paaye, jaise expect karni chahiye thi. Jis tarah ke hamare players the, waise hum performance nahi kar paye. Toh mere khayal se, hum as a team achcha nahi khele. Yeh nahi ki kisi ek bande ki wajah se hum haare. As a team hum haare. As a team hum click nahi kar paye. Kabhi humne bowling me achcha kiya, kabhi humne batting me acha nahi kiya," Babar added. While discussing the conditions, Babar admitted that the pitches slightly favored fast bowlers, but the primary issue was their batting failures in critical moments. He pointed out that losing wickets back-to-back put them in a difficult position in crucial matches. "Yahaan par jo pitches thi who fast bowlers ko thoda sa help kar rahi thi. Humari batting waise click nahi kar payi. Jab humare hathon ki cheez aayi, wahan par humne wicket lose ki, jiske bajah se do crucial match the woh haare. Hum ahead jaa rahe the, pressure dusre team me thi lekin jab aap back-to-back wicket girti hai toh pressure aap pe aa jati hai," Babar said.
He admitted that while the pitches slightly favored fast bowlers, the main issue was their batting failures in crucial moments. Losing wickets in quick succession put them in difficult positions during key matches.
Pakistan's Shocking Exit
The rainout match of USA vs IRE was a disaster for Pakistan. USA gained a point automatically, securing their spot in the Super 8s with five points. Pakistan stayed at four points, ending their chances of moving forward. Throughout the tournament, Pakistan's journey has been up and down. They showed flashes of brilliance mixed with moments of disappointment. Despite playing well in earlier matches, the washout was a harsh way to end their campaign. Pakistani players and fans will surely feel disappointed about what could have been if the weather had not disrupted their chances.
