After a gallant bowling performance to push their game against South Africa down to the wire on Friday night, Pakistan were left to rue what would have been if only their batters had lasted the full quota of 50 overs and added even 20 runs more.
After opting to bat, Pakistan at various stages of the innings got into positions from where they could have consolidated. Mohammad Rizwan and skipper Babar Azam raised 48 runs for the third wicket, followed by Babar and Iftikhar Ahmed raising 43 runs. Then Saud Shakeel and Shadab Khan launched a fine counterattack between the 30th and 40th overs, adding 84 runs for the sixth wicket.
But Pakistan kept losing wickets at the wrong time and in the end were dismissed for 270 with 3.2 overs still left. The below par total allowed South Africa, chasing for a change and making heavy weather of it, to steal a one-wicket win in Chennai on Friday.
Pakistan team director, Mickey Arthur, admitted the problem. “We bowled really well, but I still thought we were under par in terms of the runs we had. We haven’t put the perfect game together yet. It hasn't been for lack of effort, hasn’t been for lack of trying, but we just haven’t got enough players in form at the minute, particularly with the bat,” the South African said.
This is the first time Pakistan have lost four consecutive matches at an ODI World Cup, which has left Babar Azam’s side on the verge of elimination. They have four points from six games after their opening wins over Netherlands and Sri Lanka.
{{/usCountry}}This is the first time Pakistan have lost four consecutive matches at an ODI World Cup, which has left Babar Azam’s side on the verge of elimination. They have four points from six games after their opening wins over Netherlands and Sri Lanka.
{{/usCountry}}Azam has to take a lot of the blame for not making his starts count. He has scored three fifties but hasn’t been able to convert it to a century even once. Against South Africa, he got to 50 off 65 balls but played a loose shot to left-arm wrist spinner Tabraiz Shamsi to fritter away the advantage when set.
“It’s very disappointing, we fought back well but we were 10-15 runs short,” Babar said after the game.
The Pakistan No. 3 takes his time to get set but when the time comes to accelerate, he has been getting out, missing out on those 25 extra balls that can make the difference in the team scoring a 300-plus total. It has put other batters under extra pressure. Babar has not played to potential despite being in decent touch, aggregating 212 runs in six innings at an average of 32.50.
Friday was the fourth time in six games that the 1992 champions were bowled out. Only twice have they been able to get to 300, against Sri Lanka, and in their defeat to Australia.
Pakistan did not bat the full quota of overs even against Netherlands in their opening match, 286 all out in 49 overs. Against Australia, chasing a huge total, they were 305 all out in 45.3 overs. The most disappointing display was against India in Ahmedabad, when they were bundled out for 191 in 42.5 overs.
Pakistan came into the World Cup with high hopes on a top order with an impressive record. But the top order fired only once, against Sri Lanka, when they helped chase down a target of 344 with opener Abdullah Shafique and Mohammad Rizwan hitting hundreds.
What has hurt Pakistan most is the form of their openers Imam-ul-Haq and Fakhar Zaman. Fakhar was dropped after one game due to his continued poor run. Imam has also had a forgettable tournament, scoring 162 runs at 27.00 with one fifty. Fakhar’s form dip upset the gameplan as he was the attacking batter who would have set the tone.
Again, in the middle-order they lacked an enforcer who could put the bowlers under pressure with a blazing cameo. Iftikhar Ahmed has been a big let down with just 122 runs in six innings at 24.40. His best is 40. The technically sound Saud Shakeel has also managed only 207 runs at 35.33, with two half centuries.
Rizwan and Shafique got runs against Sri Lanka but the other teams have kept them quiet. Rizwan is Pakistan’s top run-getter with 333 runs at 66.60 (one century, 2 fifties). Abdullah Shafique aggregates 264 runs at 52.80 (one century, 2 fifties).
All-rounders Shadab Khan and Mohammad Nawaz did their bit with a couple of useful partnerships, but also frittered away advantageous positions and the chance to utilise the full quota of overs. One example was Friday when they were poised to take the total past 300. Shadab made 43 but was out in the 40th over. Nawaz made 24 before falling in the 46th over. Shadab has 117 in four innings (highest 43, avg 29.25) while Nawaz has 81 runs at 20.25.
Coming from the land of Inzamam ul-Haq, Javed Miandad and Zaheer Abbas, it’s been a poor show.