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Naeem Niazi
LAHORE, Jun 17 (APP): Captain Babar Azam has said that he is in no mood to surrender captaincy after unceremonious exit from the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 at the group stage, adding that the decision to appoint or remove a captain lies with the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).
Addressing a press conference after a consolation win against Ireland in the last of the group stage match at the Broward County Stadium Lauderhill, Florida, he said the team lost because the other 10 players did not do well in their roles in the team, adding that it was not because of the captain that the team crashed out of the T20 World Cup in the group stage.
To a query, Babar said that the responsibility could not be fixed on the selectors or somebody else, adding that 15 members of the squad had not performed to their capacity. He said the middle order batting threw away wickets recklessly while the players performed in patches.
“I led the team to the semi-final and final of the Asia Cup and the ICC T20 World Cup on three different occasions during the past years,” Babar Azam responded, adding “I accept the responsibility for not doing well at the T20 World Cup in the United States, but we had lost as a team,” Babar responded.
Pakistan team could not qualify for the Super Eight stage of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in West Indies after loss to the co-hosts the USA and Indian cricket teams in their first two matches. The USA qualified for the Super Eight after their match against Ireland washed out, which helped them earn one point and move ahead of Pakistan, who could only secure four points from two wins in the last two group stage matches. Besides the inclement weather, which affected many matches in the USA, the playing conditions in that country also did not win adulation from the participating teams.
About the playing conditions in the USA, the top run-getter in the T20Is said the pitches in the USA were more of bowler friendly. He was of the view that the pitches should have been made for batting and bowling, adding that right flip of the coin usually decided the fate of the matches.
“The match start time was too early considering the moist conditions in the USA. The matches should have been started a bit late as the early morning moisture helped the bowlers a great deal,” Babar said. “Look at the below par power-play scores between 30-40 in most of the matches due to pitch-conditions,” he responded. ”However, he praised the curator at the Lauderhill, Florida for making the match happen despite soggy conditions after the rain.”
On the group stage exit from the T20 World Cup, Babar said the whole team and the coaching staff were disappointed not to have produced as good results at the T20 World Cup as expected of them, adding that they lost the ICC mega event as a team as he would not point fingers at an individual. He said he would sit back with the PCB management upon return to the country and give his feedback on the debacle in the T20 World Cup.
On Mohammad Amir and Imad Wasim, Babar Azam said that Mohammad Amir and Imad Wasim had done well in the bowling department, summarising that the bowlers had done over-all well through the group stage matches in the USA except for the first match against the USA. Babar, during the presser, did not mince words and held the batsmen responsible for the poor show in the mega event by the Pakistan team. “The batsmen did not show patience and apply themselves and threw away their wickets in the power plays even,” Babar remarked.
“Mohammad Amir did well with the new ball as well as the old ball and got us the crucial wickets on crucial moments,” he added.
About the poor show from the batsmen, he said the players had been part of the team for the past four to five years and they should perform, but they did not do well under demanding condition. He said one could not hit a six on every ball and must think out of the box as per the conditions. He said similarly, the bowlers needed to hit the hard length on the pitches in New York and Florida.
The ICC top ranked batsmen in white-ball cricket Babar Azam stressed the need of game awareness and common sense, adding that these were essentials of character of a cricketer which helped him understand the scenario and decide accordingly.
“The game of cricket has evolved over the past decade and the players need to evolve with the times,” Babar said on dismal batting display from the middle-order and the top.
On the difference in win against Ireland, Babar said wickets in the first batting power play made the difference, adding that if a team manages early wickets by hitting the right length, it dictates the course of the match. He said the bowlers paved the way for the win.
Babar apologised to the Pakistan fan base for the lackluster performance which resulted early exit in the T20 World Cup, but, at the same time, he thanked them for showing the faith in the Green Shirts by turning up in large numbers during the team’s last group match at Lauderhill, Florida.