The Champions Trophy, the sole ICC event of the year, has now entered its business end. One of the strong Asian cricket teams, known for its rich cricketing history, had the honour of hosting the tournament. The host team encountered difficulties, finishing without a victory in their matches—losing two and having one end with no result. Coming as the defending champions, the hosts failed to make an impact in this star-studded cricketing event featuring the world’s best 8 ODI teams. The hosts finished at the bottom of Group A with no wins under their belt. Pakistan’s journey in this Champions Trophy was marred with a negative approach in all three aspects of the game- batting, bowling and fielding.
Three biggest talking points from Pakistan’s Champions Trophy campaign:
Exposed Pace Attack
Pakistan fast bowlers, who are known to show their fangs and claws to opposition batsmen, failed to make any strides in this competition. The pace trio of Shaheen Afridi, Harris Rauf and Naseem Shah not only failed to pick wickets but also were extremely expensive in the important phases of the matches. Shaheen Afridi conceded runs at 6.9 runs and over while Haris Rauf had an economy of 7.8. Together the three bowlers were able to pick only 5 wickets in the entire event. Such performance has raised questions about their stay on the national side.
No Batting intent
The defending champions’ batters faltered big time at the Champions Trophy. Neither the top nor middle and lower order showed any intent during the matches. They faltered while chasing a 320-run target against New Zealand on a dead-flat Lahore track and also failed to post a decent target against India on a slow wicket. The inability of their batters to rotate strikes during the building phase of Odi’s innings and the lack of power hitters at the bottom failed to propel the team to the targets. The batters went into their shell on both occasions, trying to protect their wickets. Pakistan’s star batting duo of Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan failed to play a significant knock in the entirety of the tournament, which added to the woes of the team.
Lack of leadership
Mohmmad Rizwan failed to live up to the expectations as a leader and captain of the Pakistan side. As a batsman, he had a below-par tournament, where he managed to score only 49 runs in 2 innings at a strike rate of 60. As a captain, his team selection, even before the start of the tournament, was marred with controversy as Pakistan headed with just one main spinner. Rizwan certainly had a forgettable debut as a captain in an ICC event.
Disclaimer: This Exclusive News is based on the author’s understanding, analysis, and instinct. As you review this information, consider the points mentioned and form your own conclusions.
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