Disastrous start

Green Shirts are prone to conceding shock defeats. They have lost to Afghanistan, struggled against Ireland and surrendered to Zimbabwe — even in must-win situations. But this past Thursday, in Dallas, they stooped to a new embarrassing low, losing to the US, a cricket new-born with no Test status. This is how the Babar Azam men launched their quest for the ICC T20 World Cup being co-hosted by the West Indies and the US.

The Men in Green were not in their elements from the word go. While they were expected to flood the Grand Prairie Cricket Stadium with runs, they could barely muster 159 for 7 in the allotted 20 overs. The first six overs of the power play spawned a humiliating 30 runs for 3 wickets. Skipper Babar, the top-scorer of the innings, did eventually manage a respectable-looking 44 off 43 balls, but he was painfully slow during much of his stay at the crease, as if playing a five-day game. No other batter could stroke the ball in the contemporary T20 style — of which the modest total is enough an evidence.

Average though, the total promised sufficient defending cushion, given Pakistan’s much-vaunted pace battery and the inexperience of the Americans with the willow. However, skipper Monank Patel (50 off 38), aided by Andries Gous and Aaron Jones with 35 and 36 respectively, helped the US pull off a tie, dragging the game into super over for a result. The 18 runs made by the Americans in the super over — courtesy some wayward bowling by Muhammad Amir — proved too much for Pakistan which finished five runs short.

With this dispiriting takeaway, Green Shirts are to move to New York where they will take on India on Sunday. A loss to the arch-rivals will most likely mean curtains for Pakistan in the world contest. Amid the whole doom and gloom, what, however, offers a ray of hope is Team Pakistan’s trademark passion and their well-recognised capability to bounce back. Just do it, boys!

Published in The Express Tribune, June 8^th, 2024.

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