The Babar Azam-led Pakistan team has fallen short of expectations in India’s ICC Cricket World Cup 2023. While they began the campaign on a positive note, winning the first two matches, they struggled to maintain their winning form and suffered two challenging defeats in their recent encounters.
One of these defeats came at the hands of arch-rivals India in a match that witnessed a dramatic collapse, making it one of the most memorable moments in World Cup history. Despite a promising start, with Pakistan at 155/2 on the scoreboard, they failed to cross the 200-run mark. They managed to add just 36 more runs to their total before losing their remaining eight wickets, setting India a modest target of 192 runs.
India, led by a brilliant 86 runs off 63 balls by their captain, Rohit Sharma, and a half-century by Shreyas Iyer, comfortably achieved the target in 30.3 overs. The outcome left many cricket fans disappointed, and Pakistan’s cricket director, Micky Arthur, was particularly critical of the arrangements and support provided to Pakistan.
Arthur did not hold back in expressing his frustration, specifically criticizing the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) for the apparent lack of support for Pakistan at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. He mentioned that the atmosphere felt more like a bilateral series or a BCCI event rather than an ICC event. He also pointed out the absence of the popular Pakistani anthem “Dil Dil Pakistan” being played during the match.
“Look, I’d be lying if I said that It didn’t seem like an ICC event, tonight, to be brutally honest. It seemed like a bilateral series; it seemed like a BCCI event. I didn’t hear Dil Dil Pakistan coming through the microphones too often tonight,” said Arthur.
S Sreesanth Lashes Out At Mickey Arthur And Pakistan For Excuses
Former Indian cricketer and 2011 World Cup winner S Sreesanth had strong words for Pakistan in light of the criticism. He emphasized that as a team, it is essential to be prepared for both praise and criticism from the crowd, highlighting the importance of focusing on the process and managing pressure. He added that if a team cannot handle the pressure, they shouldn’t come to India to play.
“See, you will get praise from the crowd if you do well and if you do poorly, you will get criticized. As a team, you need to be ready for both. Mahi bhai (MS Dhoni) always has said to focus on process because the pressure will always be there. Don’t come to India if you can’t handle the pressure. Go back. As it is you’re playing that way,” he said.
Currently, Pakistan occupies the fifth position on the ten-team points table and is set to face Afghanistan in their upcoming match in Chennai. While Pakistan may be considered favourites for the match, Afghanistan’s promising spin attack poses a potential threat, as they had previously stunned defending champions England, securing their sole win in the tournament.
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The Babar Azam-led Pakistan team has fallen short of expectations in India’s ICC Cricket World Cup 2023. While they began the campaign on a positive note, winning the first two matches, they struggled to maintain their winning form and suffered two challenging defeats in their recent encounters. One of these defeats came at the hands
The post PAK Vs AFG: Pakistan Team Director Mickey Arthur Gets Schooled On Handling Pressure By 2011 World Cup Winner appeared first on CricketAddictor.
