Pakistan Squad Accept Responsibility After Early World Cup Exit
The Pakistan national cricket team had a disappointing run at the recently concluded T20 World Cup 2024, suffering elimination in the group stage of the tournament held in the United States and West Indies. This early exit has led to intense criticism from fans back home, which star player Mohammad Rizwan believes is justified given their underwhelming performances.
Pakistan started their World Cup campaign on a losing note, falling short against the USA in a last-over thriller that was eventually decided via a Super Over. Chasing a small total against rivals India, they could not get across the line and lost by a narrow margin. With two losses in two games, Pakistan's qualification hopes were hanging by a thread.
They did manage to win their remaining fixtures against Canada and Ireland to end with two wins from four matches. However, other results in their group did not favor them as USA secured qualification alongside India in the top two spots. Speaking to reporters about the team's ouster, Rizwan accepted that criticism from Pakistani supporters is fair. The talented wicketkeeper-batsman stated players must be ready to face criticism when results do not meet expectations.
All-rounder Imad Wasim, who was part of the squad, also analyzed where things went wrong. He highlighted the need to get rid of fear of failure and back themselves in all facets of the game. Skipper Babar Azam and the team management will analyze what went wrong and look to make necessary changes going forward to ensure better performances at future international events.
Pakistan fans will hope the squad takes this early exit as a learning experience. With a lot of talent and match-winners in their ranks, they will be hoping to return stronger in upcoming tours and competitions. For now, they accept responsibility for their below-par show at the T20 World Cup 2024.
