KARACHI:

If there has been heavy rain a few hours before the match and more is forecast after the start, what would you do if you won the toss?

If one of your bowlers has the opposition under pressure, would you bring him on early or wait until half the innings is over?

If your main fast bowler is out of form and another bowler takes a wicket in the very first over, would you give the key pacer a second over or introduce a spinner to maintain momentum?

If your star bowler concedes too many runs in his first over, would you still give him the final over or hand the ball to someone else?
Would you highlight your biggest batter’s weaknesses in front of the media, or address them in the dressing room?

If you have a senior batter with a big reputation, would you keep him out of the team consistently, or would you continue to play him?
If you have even a basic understanding of cricket, these questions are not difficult. You’re not being paid millions to answer them—but if someone earning crores is consistently making the opposite decisions, what would you call that?

Unfortunately, that’s exactly what has been happening in the World Cup. The Pakistani team management has taken such strange decisions that people are left stunned. Perhaps they consider themselves all-wise and others insignificant.

If we manage to reach the second round, it won’t be entirely our achievement—credit will go to the ICC. Since millions in Pakistan and India watch these matches, both teams are often placed in groups with weaker sides to ensure progression and avoid financial losses. In the past, when both were eliminated early, the council suffered major setbacks. While India have surged ahead as a strong side, even if you place Uganda, Nepal, and the UAE in Pakistan’s group, there’s still no guarantee of victory.
Remember the World Cup in the USA, where we lost to the novice hosts. This time too, we were almost defeated by the Netherlands in the very first match—only Faheem Ashraf’s extraordinary batting rescued us. Wins against the USA and Namibia carried us into the Super 8, but the defeat to India cannot be forgotten.

Now, with the match against New Zealand washed out due to rain, the road to the semifinals has become extremely difficult. England defeated Sri Lanka thanks to superb bowling, but their batting remains fragile. Luck might still favor us. If we beat both teams in the upcoming matches, we could make the final four—but then we’ll face even stronger opponents.

Looking at our performance so far, it cannot be called impressive. A major role in getting this far has been played by Sahibzada Farhan, who scored a century against Namibia. Previously, he would settle for 50 or 60 before getting out, but this time he carried his innings further.
As for the other opener, Saim Ayub, we elevated him too quickly. On paper, he may be labelled a top all-rounder, but his performance does not reflect that. His primary job is batting, yet in five matches he has scored only 63 runs at an average of 15. In modern T20 cricket, even some tail-enders have better stats. Few players get as many opportunities as Saim has in such a short span, yet he has failed to show consistency and remains trapped in the fascination of flashy “no-look” shots.

In Pakistan, the biggest advantage of being captain is the freedom to do as you please. In T20 cricket, the number three position is crucial. Salman Ali Agha has occupied it, but in five World Cup matches he has managed only 55 runs at an average of 13. His captaincy decisions have also been questionable.

We all supported including Babar Azam in the World Cup squad, but he too has disappointed, scoring only 66 runs so far. He does not seem comfortable at number four, but promoting him to open might waste powerplay overs. If he fails in the remaining matches, he may need to reconsider his future in t20.

Usman Khan appears to be the weakest link in the team. He scored some runs against India when the match was already slipping away, but overall he has been consistently poor. The “favor” he did by leaving UAE cricket is something he is still living off.
Many players look like Don Bradman against weak teams but fail completely against stronger opposition. When former cricketers criticize players like Shadab, they start responding—yet they have the bat and ball to answer critics with performance rather than words.

With this batting lineup, were we truly dreaming of defeating India? Fakhar Zaman is in the squad but not being played. In bowling, our key pacer Shaheen Afridi is out of form. The management doesn’t seem to trust Faheem Ashraf enough to give him the ball regularly. The spin duo of Mohammad Nawaz and Abrar Ahmed has failed to weave magic. However, Usman Tariq has largely lived up to the hype around him—had he been used at the right time against India, he might have caused serious damage.

Questions are now being raised about Salman’s leadership and Mike Hesson’s coaching. Both have made several fundamental mistakes. Time is running short. England and Sri Lanka cannot be taken lightly. If we continue to advance, even stronger opponents await.
The team must brace itself. Just as players were anxious about their rates in the PSL auction , they should show similar concern for their performances. So far, the team has disappointed. Now, all we can do is hope for better displays in the remaining matches—otherwise, we’ll console ourselves with the PSL, whose biggest advantage is that the Pakistan national team doesn’t lose there, so there’s no tension.