This has to be one of the worst defeats in Pakistan’s T20 cricket history. The Babar Azam-led full-strength side went toe-to-toe against Ireland, a team ranked 11th in the world, and faced a humiliating 5-wicket defeat. With less than a month left before the T20 World Cup 2024, this is a warning sign of what can happen to the team in the mega-event.
This loss is coming right after the Pakistan cricket team settled for a 2-2 draw against New Zealand’s ‘F’ side. Despite the Kiwis missing 15 of their top players, the Men in Green couldn’t win the series, and now they are beaten by a side that’s not even ranked in the Top 10 of the ICC’s team rankings.
Pakistan Cricket
Babar Azam, to blame for Pakistan’s defeat?
As Pakistan’s captain and best batter, the onus definitely falls on Babar Azam. The right-handed batter was in the middle for 12.4 overs and faced the most balls (43) by any Pakistani batter, yet he managed to score just 57 runs at a strike rate of 132.56. In comparison, Saim Ayub had a strike rate of 155.17, and he was in the middle for 11.2 overs.
If not for his slow batting, the Pakistan cricket team could have scored 200 and batted Ireland out of the game. Instead, the home side had to chase 182, and that too because of Iftikhar Ahmed’s cameo of 37(15). One has to imagine that if that hadn’t happened, Pakistan may have been restricted under 160.
