Although Pakistan holds a strong belief in the possibility of miracles on the grand stage, it appears unlikely that the Green Army will secure a spot in the later stages of the ICC World Cup 2023 in India. The team, led by Babar Azam, suffered a devastating defeat against South Africa in their most recent World Cup match, losing by just one wicket and pushing Pakistan to the brink of elimination from the tournament.
Currently ranked sixth, Pakistan shares the same number of points with Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, and the Netherlands in the World Cup standings. Following their initial victory over the Netherlands, Pakistan achieved a historic milestone by successfully chasing down the highest target in the history of the ICC World Cup against Sri Lanka.
However, Pakistan has encountered numerous setbacks during this World Cup. They were defeated by a high-flying Indian team led by Rohit Sharma and faced a comprehensive loss to Australia during the round-robin phase. The Green Army also experienced a surprising defeat to Afghanistan, marking Afghanistan’s first-ever victory over Pakistan in the 50-over format. Pakistan now lags four points behind fourth-placed Australia and third-placed New Zealand on the points table, while they are six points behind second-placed South Africa and table-toppers India.
Adding to Pakistan’s challenges, there are reports that the players have not received payments from the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) for the past five months. This financial dispute is said to be affecting the players’ focus during the World Cup, with Babar Azam reportedly the most vocal about the issue.
Furthermore, Babar Azam’s leadership as captain may be in jeopardy after the ICC World Cup. Speculations suggest that Sarfaraz Ahmed, Muhammad Rizwan, and Shaheen Shah Afridi are the leading candidates to replace him as the captain for Pakistan. Babar’s performance in the tournament has been less than stellar, with an average of 34.50 and 207 runs scored.
In the midst of these challenges, Pakistan is set to face England, New Zealand, and Bangladesh in their upcoming matches at the ICC World Cup. The team is grappling with both on-field and off-field issues that are taking a toll on their performance and morale.