After tough losses to the USA and India, Pakistan bounced back with a crucial win against Canada in the T20 World Cup. Pakistan’s decision to bowl first paid off as they restricted Canada to just 107 runs. The bowling attack, comprising Naseem Shah, Mohammad Amir, Haris Rauf, and Shaheen Afridi, performed exceptionally well.
In response, Pakistan chased down the target with unexpected difficulty, winning by 7 wickets with 15 balls left. Mohammad Rizwan led the charge with 50 runs off 50 balls, though his innings lacked aggression. Babar Azam contributed significantly but got out before finishing the game. Fans are disappointed by Babar Azam’s performance in this World Cup. Him having faced 205 balls without hitting a six. Hopefully, this win motivates him to perform better. On the other hand, the bowling lineup, especially Naseem and Muhammad Amir have been receiving praise even for lost matches. Muhammad Amir received the “Player of the Match” title in the match against Canada in his first T20 World Cup after he came back from retirement.
Disappointing Loss Against India
In the match against India on Sunday, Pakistan won the toss and chose to bowl first. The bowling lineup, featuring Amir, Naseem, and Shaheen, did an excellent job, limiting India to 120 runs. However, the batting lineup faltered. Babar Azam failed to score significantly, while Rizwan, despite staying at the crease for many overs, couldn’t accelerate the run rate. Fakhar Zaman tried to push the score but was dismissed, and Iftikhar Ahmed’s poor performance led to his exclusion from the lineup for the Canada match, in his stead, Saim Ayub was added to the team. In the end, the youngster Naseem Shah tried his best even when they had very little chance of winning, which won people’s hearts. This loss was particularly demotivating, especially following the defeat against the USA.
Revival of Hopes
The win against Canada has revived some hope among fans and added a crucial 2 points to Pakistan’s tally, placing them at number 3 in Group A, which consists of 5 teams (India, USA, Pakistan, Canada, Ireland). This victory is a morale booster as Pakistan aims to advance in the tournament. Pakistan’s next match is against Ireland on Sunday, June 16.
Ireland standing at the moment is last of the group with 2 losses and 0 points. Pakistan has to reach the top two to advance to the Super Eight. There will be two groups in the Super Eight and the top two of both will advance to the semi-finals.
