In the 2023 World Cup, Pakistan suffered their third consecutive defeat on Monday, succumbing to an 8-wicket loss to Afghanistan.
The 2023 World Cup witnessed a surprising setback for Pakistan as they were defeated by Afghanistan in the group stage earlier this week. This loss has placed them on the verge of elimination from the tournament, with two wins in five matches and a negative Net Run Rate (NRR). Babar Azam’s team now faces a monumental challenge to stage a comeback. Adding to the difficulty, two of their upcoming opponents, South Africa and New Zealand, are comfortably seated in the top four and have been delivering strong performances.
Following a series of three consecutive losses in the tournament, Pakistan’s players have been subjected to harsh criticism. Captain Babar Azam, in particular, has been under fire from numerous senior cricketers back in Pakistan. Some of Babar’s decisions as captain have raised eyebrows, and his defensive strategies during Afghanistan’s pursuit of 283 runs left many perplexed. Notably, Pakistan’s star batsman, Ahmed Shehzad, has made explosive claims regarding the dynamics within the Pakistan team’s dressing room.
Shehzad alleges that certain Pakistani players receive preferential treatment, while others are placed in challenging on-field situations with the intention of eventually dropping them from the playing XI. Shehzad made these claims during his appearance on ARY News, a Pakistani news channel.
“I’ve conversed with some players. There are a few players who do not feel welcome in the dressing room. They are not provided with the same level of support and confidence as some others. It seems they aim to keep certain players in the team while sidelining the rest. Tayyab Tahir was brought in but wasn’t welcomed and was subsequently excluded. Saud Shakeel was included based on his Test performances. In the case of Usama Mir, we had been advocating for him to be given opportunities before the World Cup to boost his confidence. Usama is a wrist-spinner, and he’s more effective with an older ball. However, he was brought in during the 11th over. It appears they are trying to protect specific players while exposing others,” revealed Shehzad.
“For some time, we’ve been emphasizing the need to bring in Abrar Ahmad, a mystery spinner. These are our colleagues, our friends, and they don’t feel welcome,” added the batsman.
Several former players have criticized Captain Babar Azam and other team members for their poor performance in the tournament. Prominent cricket figures, including Wasim Akram, Misbah ul Haq, Ramiz Raja, Rashid Latif, Muhammad Hafeez, Aaqib Javed, Shoaib Malik, Moin Khan, and Shoaib Akhtar, have placed the blame on Babar for Pakistan’s losses to India, Australia, and Afghanistan.
