Before the T20 World Cup, Pakistan’s spin-heavy team is playing well, but a contentious decision to forfeit their marquee match against India might yet result in another early elimination.
In support of Bangladesh, who withdrew from the competition after refusing to play in India due to security concerns, Pakistan nearly did the same. The team’s participation was subsequently approved by the Pakistani authorities, but they were not allowed to play India in a highly anticipated match on February 15 in Colombo.
If Pakistan were to advance as one of the top two teams from a five-team Group A, they will have no margin for error if they forfeit the game because a win earns two points. To stay in contention, they will need to defeat the United States three days after defeating the Netherlands in their opening match on Saturday in Colombo. On February 18, they will play Namibia in their last group match.
If the squad ends up playing India again in the semifinals or final, the Pakistani government has not stated what position they would take. Pakistan will be eager to prevent a recurrence of the 2024 T20 World Cup, in which they failed to advance out of the group due to a shocking defeat to co-hosts the United States.
Since then, the team has been under fire for not adjusting to the contemporary demands of Twenty20 cricket. Babar Azam’s low strike rate in particular has drawn criticism. Pakistan’s record from the previous year, in which 21 of their 34 T20 international victories came against lower-ranked opponents, served as fuel for the criticism.
The outcomes against top teams were depressing: three Asia Cup losses to India and a 1-4 series loss to New Zealand. After winning a home tri-series and defeating South Africa 2-1, Pakistan swept Australia 3-0.
Abrar Ahmed and Usman Tariq, who is renowned for his peculiar, slingy action and excessive stop at the crease, have bolstered the spin department. The seasoned Shaheen Shah Afridi and Naseem Shah spearhead the pace attack. Salman Mirza, a recent addition, has shown promise, and Faheem Ashraf offers seam-bowling all-around support.
Pakistan’s most unstable element still is batting. The team can record competitive totals when openers Saim Ayub and Sahibzada Farhan get off to great starts, but collapses are still a continuous possibility. By substituting Usman Khan, Khawaja Nafay, and Farhan for seasoned wicketkeeper Mohammad Rizwan due to poor form, head coach Mike Hesson has increased the risk.
Pakistan has all the makings of a deep run, but there isn’t much margin for error because points could be lost.
