After shock loss, Pakistan captain's tactics, lack of penetrative bowlers and power hitters in focus as team look to salvage faltering campaign
CHENNAI: Things are falling apart really fast for Babar Azam's Pakistan. After three back-to-back losses -the most painful being the one against Afghanistan at Chepauk on Monday - there's a sense of resignation in the Pakistan camp. While the Pakistani journos at the Chepauk press-box were dictating "End of the road" headlines to their respective desks in Karachi and Lahore, the body language of Babar suggested that the players don't believe that they can turn it around in the next four games.
"This loss is really going to hurt us," Babar said, summing up the mood of the camp and during a 15-minute interrogation by the media after the defeat.
He couldn't come up with a single positive to look forward to as Pakistan now have four must-win matches against South Africa, Bangladesh, New Zealand and England, starting Friday. TOI looks at what has gone wrong for a Pakistan team that started the tournament with two wins on the trot.
Below-par show by bowlers
344, 192/3 in 30 overs, 367, 286/2 in 49 overs. If you have grown up watching the great Pakistan attacks, such numbers by an attack that hails from the land of Imran Khan and Wasim Akram may seem incredulous. It's true that the last-minute injury to pacer Naseem Shah has hurt them, but his replacement Hasan Ali might struggle to find a place in any Indian First-Class side.
Haris Rauf's back of the length one-pace delivery has been taken apart time and time again - on Monday, he went for 17 in his first over and there was no looking back.
1/10:World Cup: Afghanistan send Pakistan crashing to shock defeat
Reuters
2/10:Afghanistan beat Pakistan
<p>Afghanistan put up a superb batting and bowling display to hand Pakistan a stunning eight-wicket defeat in the Cricket World Cup in Chennai on Monday. </p>Reuters
3/10:283-run target
<p>Chasing a 283-run target, Afghanistan were lifted by Ibrahim Zadran (87), Rahmat Shah (77 not out) and Rahmanullah Gurbaz (65) as they scored 286-2 in 49 overs. </p>PTI
4/10:Babar Azam
<p>Pakistan had made 282-7 in their 50 overs with 74 from skipper Babar Azam and 58 from opener Abdullah Shafique but the total did not prove tough enough for a clinical Afghanistan. </p>TNN
5/10:Highest ODI chase
<p>Skipper Hashmatullah Shahidi, with a 45-ball 48 not out, hit the winning boundary as Afghanistan improved upon their highest ODI chase of 274 against the UAE in Dubai in 2014.</p>PTI
6/10:Sloppy Pakistan
<p>Pakistan were sloppy in the field as they conceded easy boundaries with openers Zadran and Gurbaz taking their side to 100 in the 16th over. </p>PTI
7/10:130-run stand
<p>Zadran and Gurbaz put on 130 by the 22nd over and it was only a miscued shot from Gurbaz off Shaheen Shah Afridi that brought Pakistan their first wicket. </p>AFP
8/10:Gurbaz and Zadran
<p>Gurbaz hit nine boundaries and a six in his 53-ball knock while Zadran scored 10 boundaries off 113 deliveries before handing a catch behind off Hasan Ali with 93 still needed. </p>PTI
9/10:Match-winning stand
<p>Rahmat and Shahidi ensured Afghanistan did not collapse and Rahmat hit five fours and two sixes in his 84-ball stay at the crease. </p>Reuters
10/10:First-ever ODI win
<p>The win is Afghanistan's first-ever over Pakistan in eight ODIs and came eight days after their shock victory over defending champions England in Delhi. </p>APLeft-arm tearaway Shaheen Shah Afridi seems to have lost the inswinger against the right-hander, while the less said about the leggies Usama Mir and Shadab Khan, the better. They are bowling like those over-enthusiastic amateurs, who in their desperation to land the ball of the century, are coming up with two long-hops every over which are getting duly dispatched to the fence by seasoned batters.
"The bowlers are unable to execute the plans. They are sometimes a little too over-eager to complete an over conceding less runs and that's leading to the mistakes. You can't get away bowling two loose balls in one over," Babar said categorically while analysing his bowlers. Add to that the poor fielding by some of the outfielders and it's really a sad situation in the Pakistan ranks.
Lack of firepower in batting
One of Mohammed Azharuddin's famous clichés during his captaincy days was "The team didn't bat well, bowl well, field well". While it used to be true for some of the Indian sides of the 1990s, the Pakistan team of the 2020s is trying hard to outdo their struggling neighbours back then.
The Pakistan top-order is failing to build any momentum in the Powerplay which would give the middle-order some sort of a platform. While the likes of Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill are virtually finishing off games in the first 10 when there are only two fielders outside the ring, all Pakistan are managing is 50 or thereabouts, which can be considered below-par in India.
"Probably we need to take more proteins than carbs," opener Imam ul Haq said, while trying to brush aside the 'lack of big shots' query ahead of the Afghanistan clash, but there was nothing in his game on Monday to suggest he had changed either his diet-chart or his batting style.
Babar's captaincy under the radar
There were suggestions in sections of the Pakistan media on Monday that there is a rift between Babar and some of his lieutenants. The PCB was quick to rubbish it but if things don't change drastically, the stylish right-hander's captaincy days are numbered.
Babar has looked listless at times as captain, and even on Monday some of his decisions left a lot to be desired. There was a time around the 34th over when Afghanistan had just lost Ibrahim Zadran and there seemed to be a bit of reverse swing happening.
But Babar, instead of persisting with his pacers, brought his two below-par leggies, along with offie Iftikhar Ahmed back, and that completely took the pressure off Afghanistan. The tactical mistakes apart, there was a general lack of intent in the skipper and it might not be too far away before we see Rizwan taking over the reins of this Pakistan outfit.
