The Champions Trophy was always going to be a contest between the Pakistani bowlers and the opposition’s batsmen – as has been the case since heavens know how long. But a team that struggles to chase 240 – and was stuttering while chasing 220 in the match before that – at a time when teams are hunting down that total in the 20 over format, does not deserve to be any way near the semifinals of the Champions Trophy.
This piece is being written before Wednesday’s semifinal, but the fact that Pakistan have gone that far is flattering the squad that we have on display. It partially owes itself to the South African chain of brain fades that finally culminated in India sending the Proteas packing on Sunday, leaving even skipper A. B. De Villiers to say that the tag of ‘chokers’ is justified. And also to Sri Lanka coming up with a performance so abysmal in the field that it would’ve made Pakistan at their worst look good.
Sarfraz Ahmed
If Pakistan have somehow, miraculously, made it to Sunday’s final, it couldn’t have been without the good fortune that has carried them to the semis in the first place. And it’s hard to decide if that’s something Pakistan should celebrate.
We mustn’t expect honest self-reflection from the Pakistani side – least of all coach Mickey Arthur, who habitually dismisses any probing questions as ‘insulting’.
Well Mickey what’s truly insulting is that you’ve been in charge of the team for the past 12 months, and the only direction it has been headed towards is backwards.
Now that Pakistan have officially had a ‘successful’ tournament, even by making the semis, it’s unlikely to see any drastic changes to address that regression.
Mohammed Amir
There are a number of players in the Pakistani squad that should not get to wear the coloured jersey ever again.
Starting from up top. Azhar Ali might’ve struggled his way to the only meaningful score in that disastrous defeat against India, but he’s not an ODI player. That he almost always crumbles under pressure doesn’t help his cause, but it’s primarily got to do with Azhar’s inability to play modern day cricket. Every time he has to accelerate he looks completely out of sorts, and has to play out of his comfort zone. He is going to form the backbone of the Test team, and should focus on that.
Ahmed Shehzad might’ve only played one back in the tournament, but he has failed enough times in the past to not get a look in the side again. His stubborn refusal to learn to rotate the strike, and the even more consistent failure to capitalise on a half-decent start is not getting better anytime soon. If Pakistan are going to struggle, and if we are going to call it a transition phase, might as well give newer faces the chance to fail.
Pakistan can't let a fortunate run - albeit successful - be used to persist with the same players that have failed many a time in the past
Possibly the biggest culprit in the batting lineup has been Mohammed Hafeez. For years, his beyond mediocre batting has been covered by his useful off-spin. But his net worth after all these years is in the negative, especially when one factors in the position that he bats and the sheer volume of deliveries that he wastes.
Even if Pakistan have beaten England by the time you read this, it’s safe to say neither Azhar nor Hafeez would’ve scored a ton at a strike rate of 130, helping the side chase something over 330.
There’s one thing not fulfilling it, but if the team does not even have the potential to score over 330 runs on a regular basis, it will continue to struggle in the ODI format.
Faheem Ashraf
Fakhar Zaman
Pakistan can’t let a fortunate run – albeit successful for the bottom ranked side in the tournament – be used to allow the team management and the selectors to persist with the same players that have failed many a time in the past, and worse, those who simply do not have it in them to be modern day ODI batsmen.
Fakhar Zaman and Faheem Ashraf are Pakistan’s future, and we need to unearth more along their lines to build a team for the 2019 World Cup.
The mirage of the Champions Trophy run shouldn’t be used to hold Pakistan hostage to fortune. Unless of course the team ends up winning it all on Sunday.
