Pakistan captain Babar Azam outlined the future course of action following the Men in Green’s early and unexpected exit from the ongoing T20 World Cup.
In Group A, Pakistan faced back-to-back defeats against co-hosts USA and then their arch-rivals, India. Despite bouncing back with two consecutive wins, it wasn’t enough to salvage their campaign and secure a spot in the Super 8.
After concluding their tournament with a victory over Ireland on Sunday, Babar acknowledged that while Pakistan has talented players, they failed to perform as a cohesive unit. “We have a good bunch of players. We’ve to go home, chat and see where we lack, and then come back. Couldn’t finish off close games, as a team we weren’t good as a team,” Babar said during the post-match presentation.
Pakistan’s chase of Ireland’s 106/9 almost faltered when their middle order collapsed against the Irish bowlers. Babar held one end, playing the anchor role, while wickets tumbled at the other end. Shaheen Afridi, who excelled with the ball, came in at the end and hit two sixes to secure a three-wicket win for his team.
Babar assessed both the team’s and his own performance across all facets of the game, noting shortcomings in the batting department. “We finished well. We took early wickets in the bowling. In the batting, we did not do well, but we took it home with the tailenders. Bowling was good as conditions suited our fast bowlers. Batting we made a few mistakes, we had chances to win against USA and India. If the team needs me to open, I will, and if they need me to bat 3, I will. Whatever the team situation suits, I will do it,” he concluded.
Shaheen Afridi was named Player of the Match for his impressive bowling performance. The 24-year-old took three wickets in his four-over spell, conceding just 22 runs at an economy rate of 5.50. His spell in the powerplay rattled Ireland and set up a low-run chase for Pakistan. “Wicket was supporting for the new ball. We just tried to hit our good areas and strike early. Our plans were a success. My idea was to bowl fuller, and we were trying to hit our areas. We didn’t play good cricket, which our country demands,” he said in the post-match presentation.
Shaheen came to the crease at a critical moment and hit two sixes to rescue Pakistan from another potential embarrassment. “There are few areas we need to improve quickly, and the Champions Trophy is coming. We have to improve, and we’ll have to grow as a team. Crowd – they always come and support us. Thank you, everyone, for the support. It’s tough times, but they always come and support us. That’s what we need as a team. That’s my job. I come late (to bat) in the innings. I just hit. The team needed it. Always trying to hit sixes,” he concluded.
