Pakistan’s dismal performance at the T20 World Cup in the USA has sparked a national outrage with captain Babar Azam under heavy scrutiny from all corners. Pakistan’s early exit from the tournament, marked by shocking defeats to the USA and India, has led to questions about Babar’s future as captain and his recent poor form with the bat. The fallout from the cricket debacle has even reached the halls of Pakistan’s National Assembly. Abdul Qadir Patel, a member of the Assembly, took the opportunity to troll Babar during a session, suggesting a bizarre remedy inspired by former Prime Minister and cricket legend Imran Khan’s actions in 2022. Qadir humorously proposed that Babar should mimic Imran Khan’s dramatic gesture of waving a document at a rally to claim a conspiracy against him.
“What’s wrong with our cricket team? They lost to America, they lost to India. Babar Azam should take a lesson from one of his senior cricketers [Hinting at Imran Khan] and throw a party after losing where he should wave some documents in public stating, ‘There’s been a conspiracy against me.’ No one will question him after that, and the matter will be over.”
Pakistan, 2009 champions and finalists in 2007 and 2022, failed to advance past the group stage after losing their opening matches to the USA and India. Head coach Gary Kirsten did not hold back in his assessment, criticizing the team’s lack of unity and expressing his shock at the unprecedented situation within the squad. Entering the tournament as runners-up from the previous edition, Pakistan’s campaign in the USA is considered one of the worst in recent memory. The team managed only a solitary win against Ireland, following an unexpected defeat to the USA and a crushing loss to arch-rivals India.
The backlash from the public and the media has been intense, with many calling for significant changes in the team’s leadership and strategy. Babar Azam, who has been a stalwart for Pakistan cricket, now faces the challenging task of addressing both his form and the unity of his team as they look to rebuild and move forward from this disappointing chapter.
