Many people are devastated by Pakistan’s performance in the current ODI World Cup 2023. For the first time in the ODI World Cup, they lost four straight games, which hurt their prospects of making it to the semifinals. Despite entering the World Cup as the top-ranked side in the format, Pakistan has not lived up to expectations.
If one looks closely, Pakistan’s performance may not have come as a huge surprise, despite the shock and irritation it has caused within the nation’s cricket community. Pakistan’s capacity to participate fully in the present mega-event has been hampered by a number of circumstances.
A Damaged Attack on Pace
Pakistan’s ODI World Cup 2023 campaign has gotten off to a rough start as the squad has lost four straight games for the first time ever. Their pace attack’s inconsistency is one of the main causes of their underwhelming performance.
With Naseem Shah, Shaheen Afridi, and Haris Rauf, Pakistan’s fast-bowling trio appeared fearsome at first, but Naseem’s injury seriously hindered them. After suffering this setback, Pakistan found it difficult to hold onto the advantage they had with their speed bowlers, which was crucial in limited-overs cricket.
2) Unusual Indian Situations
In the history of the ODI World Cup, Pakistan was unable to play in India. The Pakistani squad had severe difficulties due to the unfamiliar environment in India. The Green Shirts are trailing behind spinners, who were largely favored by these circumstances.
Shadab Khan is the team’s most dependable batter against spin bowling, according to statistics, which highlights the weakness of the other batsmen against spinners. The team’s performance has suffered as a result of their obvious inability to adjust to these circumstances.
3) Spinal pain and absence of form
Pakistan’s spin department suffered as well as their pace assault because of the unreliability of important players like Mohammad Nawaz and Shadab Khan. Usama Mir’s difficulties made the team’s issues worse.
A strong and in-form spin attack could have significantly contributed to Pakistan’s success in the World Cup. However, the inconsistency and lack of form among spinners have added to the team’s woes.
4) PCB’s Non-Cooperation and Management Turmoil
Another factor that has played a role in Pakistan’s struggles is the alleged non-cooperation from the Pakistan Cricket Board.
While the coach of the team has claimed that players were not affected by the lack of salary payments for five months or the lack of coordination from the PCB, these issues have undoubtedly created a sense of turmoil in the management of the team.
A stable and supportive board is crucial for any team’s success, and the uncertainty surrounding the PCB has been a distraction for the players.
5) Immense pressure and mental struggles
Playing in India has brought immense pressure on Pakistani players, both from the crowd and the government. The delay in the issuance of visas limited the players’ time to acclimatize before the World Cup.
In addition, the players have endured persistent harassment from the audience in the form of derogatory taunts, accusations, and even police reports. The squad has suffered due to this ongoing mental strain, especially because several of the players were playing in their first-ever matches in India.
