The former India off-spinner Harbhajan Singh feels that the Pakistan team, who for the very first time has been eliminated from the ongoing ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, co-hosted in the West Indies and the United States of America (USA) didn’t play to win the game.
Under the leadership of Babar Azam, the Green Brigade lost their first game of the season against the USA at the Grand Prairie Stadium in Dallas, where they were stunned by a heart-breaking defeat by their batting struggle, and later failed to hold their nerve in the dramatic chase in the ‘super-over’.
Against India, they made a great comeback at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium in New York with the ball in hand, to restrict the blue brigade to 119, before they found themselves at a dominating position of 48 runs being required at run-a-ball with eight wickets in hand.
But even from a strong position, they lost their plot and kept on losing wickets, which ultimately put pressure on their team, as they fell short by six runs to almost get out of the competition, even before it started properly.
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‘Kahan chod kar gaye the team jo aur aaj kahan par hai’- Harbhajan Singh
The former India spinner Harbhajan Singh showed his disappointment with the current status of Pakistan cricket and the way they have been playing this game.
Last time in the ODI World Cup 2023, in India, under the same captain’s leadership, they again struggled for better performances with the bat, ball, or even on the field.
They hoped for a better result of Ireland’s victory to go in their favor, but with the washout result in that encounter, the 2009 champions for the very first time failed to reach the second round of the ongoing competition.
The Pakistan Cricket fraternity has already launched a camp that has attacked Babar Azam, demanding the resignation of the captain, as they feel they didn’t do well in the campaign.
Harbhajan Singh observes that the Pakistan side didn’t play to win the games in this 20-over game, as they kept on making the same mistakes, even after having their fate in their own hand.
‘They had their fate in their hands. The way they have played so far, they didn’t deserve to qualify for the Super 8. On the contrary, USA have played brilliantly and made their presence felt.’ The veteran bowler Harbhajan Singh expressed during a discussion of the Pakistan campaign on Star Sports. ‘They played Pakistan twice, in a 20-over game followed by a 6-ball match-up and they beat they thrashed them on both occasions and proved themselves. And mind you, it wasn’t a fluke.’
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He also added that before the Ireland game, there is no guarantee that which Pakistan side will play the Ireland on Sunday. The Pakistan former players have asked to change the lion’s share of the team, bringing new, young, and fresh players into the side, especially for the shortest format of the game.
‘If we speak about Wasim Bhai, Waqar Younis, Saqlain Mushtaq, Inzamam-ul-Haq- these are the legends of Pakistan. They have left a legacy behind. They often take to social media and speak about the current team. Just because they feel bad about what’s going on.’ Harbhajan Singh lamented. ‘Kahan chhod kar Gaye the team ko aur aaj kahan par hai (Where had they left the team and where has it reached at the moment).’
It will be interesting to see if the Pakistan Cricket think tank really looks to bring any changes in the team, post this T20 World Cup 2024.
