Former Pakistan captain and PCB Director of Cricket, Mohammad Hafeez, took to social media to criticize the Babar Azam-led Men in Green after their failure to qualify for the Super 8 stage of the ongoing T20 World Cup 2024.
Pakistan's hopes of advancing in the tournament were dashed when the Group A match between the USA and Ireland was cancelled due to heavy rain in Florida on Friday, June 14. This result was crucial for Pakistan's chances of progressing to the next round, but with the USA securing their spot in the Super 8, Pakistan's hopes were dashed.
Hafeez, who has been vocal about Pakistan's squad selection and performance in the tournament, used social media to express his disappointment with the team's performance under Babar Azam's leadership.
'Qurbani Kay Janwar Hazir Hon #PakistanCricket' Hafeez wrote on X.
Pakistan had a disappointing start to their campaign, suffering a shocking defeat at the hands of co-hosts USA in the Super Over. The Men in Green's hopes of qualifying for the Super 8 stage were further dented after a narrow loss to arch-rivals India by just 6 runs in New York. However, they managed to bounce back with a crucial win over Canada.
Despite their victory against Canada, Pakistan's chances of advancing to the Super 8 stage were uncertain, as Ireland needed to defeat the USA. With the USA accumulating 5 points in 4 matches, it seemed highly unlikely for Pakistan to finish in the top 2, even if they were to win their final group stage fixture against Ireland.
Pakistan, the former champions of the T20 World Cup, claimed the prestigious trophy in 2009 by defeating Sri Lanka in the final under the leadership of Younis Khan. However, since then, they have been unable to secure the title, despite reaching the final of the 2021 edition where they were defeated by England at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
Following their 2009 victory, Pakistan reached the semifinals in 2010 and 2012 but were unable to progress further, losing to Australia and Sri Lanka, respectively. In 2021, after nine years, the Men in Green once again reached the semifinals but were defeated by Australia, who went on to claim their first T20 World Cup title.
Also read| Shubman Gill unfollows India captain Rohit Sharma on Instagram after....
