Pakistan. (Photo by Pankaj Nangia/Getty Images)
In the wake of Pakistan’s stunning upset loss to Afghanistan in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 clash, the iconic former Pakistan fast bowler Waqar Younis did not hold back in his scathing assessment of the Men in Green. The Pakistan side, led by skipper Babar Azam, found themselves thoroughly outclassed on the field, with both fans and cricketing pundits lambasting their lackluster fielding display.
Afghanistan’s historic triumph over Pakistan marked their maiden ODI victory against their rivals in eight encounters. This milestone was achieved just a week after their astounding win over defending champions England in Delhi. Post-match, Waqar Younis minced no words, condemning Pakistan’s subpar performance as ‘rubbish cricket,’ highlighting numerous fielding errors.
“Let’s not talk about Pakistan cricket. They played rubbish cricket. Afghanistan played some superb cricket,” Waqar said on Star Sports.
Pakistan’s Cricket World Cup journey is now in disarray, having suffered three losses in five matches. Their next challenge looms large against formidable South Africa at the same venue this Friday. Conversely, Afghanistan’s campaign has gained a glimmer of hope with two wins out of five games, and they are set to take on a struggling Sri Lanka in Pune this Sunday.
Also Check: ODI World Cup 2023 Points Table
Afghanistan outplay Pakistan in every department
In a remarkable show of both batting and bowling prowess, Afghanistan handed Pakistan a remarkable and comprehensive eight-wicket defeat in the World Cup 2023. Pursuing a target of 283 runs, Afghanistan’s splendid performance was fueled by the contributions of Ibrahim Zadran (87), Rahmat Shah (unbeaten at 77), and Rahmanullah Gurbaz (65), propelling them to a final score of 286-2 in 49 overs.
Pakistan managed to post a score of 282-7 in their allotted 50 overs, boosted by the efforts of captain Babar Azam, who contributed 74 runs, and opener Abdullah Shafique, who notched up 58 runs. However, this total proved inadequate against a clinical Afghanistan side. Skipper Hashmatullah Shahidi, displaying his prowess with an unbeaten 48 off 45 deliveries, delivered the winning boundary, surpassing their previous highest ODI chase of 274 against the UAE in Dubai back in 2014.