Currently, the Pakistani national team is at the sixth position on the points table. On October 27, the most exciting match of the current World Cup took place between Pakistan and South Africa in India, where luck favored the African team and they won by one wicket.
However, this was the fourth consecutive defeat of the Pakistani team who suffered defeat in this match. In this World Cup, Pakistan has played 6 matches so far, out of which they won the first 2 against Netherlands and Sri Lanka, while India, Australia, Afghanistan and South Defeated by Africa.
At present, the Pakistani team is at the sixth position on the points table, the chances of Pakistan reaching the semi-finals are now very low, but Pakistan is not completely out of the World Cup.
Now the question arises that how can the Pakistani team reach the semi-finals of the World Cup? Pakistan will not only have to win the next 3 matches but also have to depend on other teams.
Pakistan can reach the semi-finals if Australia lose three of their four matches, which is unlikely as the Kangaroos have two matches against Afghanistan and Bangladesh, an upset would benefit Pakistan. If Australia wins against Bangladesh or Afghanistan but loses against New Zealand, the net run rate will decide the semi-finalist team.
In the other hand,Pakistani People and cricket legends are not satisfied with the batting of Babar Azam.
Cricket legends are unimpressed with Babar Azam’s No. 1 ICC ranking after Pakistan’s World Cup setback.
Former cricketers Gautam Gambhir, Virender Sehwag, and Mohammad Hafeez have collectively expressed skepticism over Babar Azam‘s status as the ICC No. 1-ranked batter. Despite Gambhir’s earlier endorsement of Babar as the potential standout player of the 2023 World Cup, the cricketer-turned-commentator now questions how Babar secured the top position in the ODI batting rankings.
After Pakistan’s recent loss to South Africa, Gambhir highlighted that Babar is yet to deliver a match-winning performance.
“He scored three fifties in the last six games. I don’t get why he’s the top ICC batter. Sure, he got lots of runs in the last two years and has 19 centuries, but records and rankings are overrated. A No.1 player should win matches. He scored a lot but hasn’t won a game on his own. In this World Cup, he got three fifties. Pakistan only crossed 300 once, against Australia, and still lost,” he said on Star Sports.
Virender Sehwag echoed similar sentiments, emphasizing that a great player transforms starts into substantial scores. According to Sehwag, Babar seems to be using his form to maintain his place in the side rather than elevating his game to a higher level.
“It wasn’t a bad innings. Pakistan lost two early wickets, and he stabilized one end, aiding the team’s recovery. But is he content with just a 50? No. Any other No. 3 batter would aim to turn that 50 into a big score. If he had done that, Pakistan could have reached a total of 300-plus. This is where great players stand out—they seize such opportunities. Babar Azam seems to be maintaining his spot in the side by relying on his form,” he said on Cricbuzz.
Former Pakistan all-rounder Mohammad Hafeez, while acknowledging Babar’s talent, expressed doubt about calling him a “great” player.
His performances are good, but unfair expectations and comparisons to greats burden him. While he’s the best among current Pakistani players, labeling him as ‘great’ is premature. There’s pressure on him to prove himself in his career stages, and expectations lead to unfair criticism, especially in big tournaments,” Hafeez said on a TV show in Pakistan.
Cricket experts are questioning Babar Azam’s performance and whether he really deserves the top ICC No. 1 ranking in ODIs.
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