New Delhi: Pakistan impressed everyone when they started their ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 campaign with thumping wins over the Netherlands and Sri Lanka. The Green Army defeated the Netherlands by 81 runs and overcame Sri Lanka in a thriller chasing 345 runs to seal the victory.
However, Pakistan’s momentum was badly derailed when the side met India in their third match on October 14. The Men In Blue maintained their dominance over Pakistan at the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup as they wrapped up a remarkable win over the arch-rivals with 19.3 overs to spare.
This was the eighth time the two sides were meeting in the ICC ODI World Cup and the Indian batters gave no respite to Pakistan bowlers in what became a mouth-watering clash for the fans.
Upon arriving in India for the ICC World Cup, Pakistan was welcomed warmly in Hyderabad. Due to their unpredictable style of play, they were initially considered one of the top four semi-final contenders.
However, this optimism proved to be a bubble that burst as they suffered a critical setback against India in their third match of the tournament.
Netizens are now making memes of the team and social media is filled with that. “A below-par team, bubble burst,” wrote one.
Former Pakistan cricketer Ramiz Raza felt that the Babar Azam-led side didn’t even compete against India.
“If you can’t win, then at least compete. Pakistan wasn’t able to do that,” Ramiz said on The ICC Review podcast.
Following the loss against India, Pakistan still had time in their hands but the side completely lost the momentum and has now faced four consecutive defeats.
The most hurting defeat for Pakistan came when the side lost to Afghanistan for the first time in a men’s ODI. Following the defeat against Australia, Pakistan were looking for a win to get back on track but Afghanistan comfortably chased down the target of 282 giving the Babar Azam-led side a major blow.
The loss to South Africa in Chennai dealt a significant blow to Pakistan’s semifinal aspirations. While Pakistan displayed glimpses of their potential, they struggled to consistently perform at their best in the World Cup.
Both their bowling and batting units failed to make their mark as hyped! Before the mega sporting spectacle, the entire social media created a buzz around the Pakistan team.
But when the Men-in-Green took the field, everything went up in smoke.
The Shaheen Afridi-led bowling department got hammered by the batters mercilessly.
As a result, their campaign is now in dire straits, and they must secure victories in all their remaining matches to stay in contention for the semifinals.
Pakistan’s next challenge is a crucial encounter against Bangladesh in Kolkata on Tuesday, as they seek to revive their World Cup hopes with victory in the must-win game.
(IANS)
