By Ahad Khan
There are no ifs and buts in cricket they say. But Pakistan seem to be an exception to this proverbial rule – perhaps due to its fabled unpredictability and ability to stage a comeback in any tournament.
So, can Pakistan prove themselves true to their billing and, more importantly, sneak into the world cup semi-final now? The answer lies in the very ifs and buts we have just talked about.
But instead of working out the possibilities of reaching the do-or-die stage, let’s find out the answer in few observations about why the team failed to perform well.
What Babar is thinking?
At times, it becomes impossible to hide what is going on inside one's self. This is what happened with Pakistan team captain Babar Azam in the post-match presser after drubbing at Afghanistan’s hands.
Babar with his shoulders weighing down could not falsely depict that all is well. Three consecutive losses in the marquee event have seemingly shattered the captain and his handpicked team.
With Pakistan's trimmed chances of reaching the semi-final and their fate being solely dependent on perennial ifs and buts, let's have a look on some important aspects.
The rudderless ship
First of all, captaincy about which everyone was endlessly schmoozing prior to the start of the world cup, hasn't hit home. Babar Azam, arguably one of the finest batters in the modern era of cricket, has not been able to prove his leadership abilities on the field.
Time and again, his laid back and capricious nature has thrown the victories away from his team. For example, his decision to hand the ball to Usama Mir in the recent match against Afghanistan in such a nail-biting situation has drawn a lot of criticism from former cricketers.
Despite having Shaheen and Haris at his disposal, he rather chose spinner Usama Mir and till the time Shaheen came, the danger of defeat had almost translated into defeat itself. Pressure
Psychological pressure is also another major reason for Pakistan's debacle in the last three matches. It seems a lack of Pakistani supporters in India's volatile cricket stadiums has somewhat disturbed the Pakistani team.
On one side you have a smattering of Pakistani fans and on the other side, you have a hyper-jingoist, hatred-fuelled crowds which have allegedly hooted down Babar and his teammates.
Additional damage is being done through social media tantrums back home where Pakistani fans have now become ruthless after watching Pakistan's back-to-back agonising defeats.
Harking back to 90’s
Reason number three is Pakistan team's unabated love affair with 90's style of batting i.e defensive to the core. No batter in our team, except muscular Iftikhar Ahmed, seems to have the firepower to ensure a good strike rate. Our batters in many cases have failed to pounce on loose deliveries.
Instead they keep on ducking the ball unlike other batters who show aggression and grit right from the word go. Now, time has come to throw this defensive batting approach out of the park and be aggressive in line with modern-day cricket requirements.
Myth of charged pace battery
Now, let's come to the myth of the "best bowling lineup''. Sadly, our pacers as well as spinners have bowled drivable lengths and half trackers which have been clinically bulldozed by the opponent batters.
On tracks like those in the subcontinent, it's very rare for the spinners not to perform. Indian wickets are typically supportive for the spinners but our spinners are either bowling half-heartedly or squandering opportunities to take wickets or contain runs.
Sloppy fielding
Reason number five is Pakistan's sloppy fielding which gives away every chance which could have otherwise turned the results in Pakistan's favour. The fielding department has to be critically evaluated in the upcoming matches.
Team selection
Last but not the least, whimsical team selection is what needs to be done away with. Zaman Khan and Muhammad Haris should have been given a chance in place of Haris Rauf and Imamul Haq but since they are among reserve players, it is not possible.
Question of questions
Now, let’s come back to the question of questions. Will Pakistan still manage to make it to semis despite a battalion of vulnerabilities? Apart from ifs and buts, prayers and hope are what the team depends on.