Babar Azam was harshly criticised for his lack of leadership during the competition.
By his high standards, his bat performances were equally terrible. He managed to score only ninety runs at a strike rate of 104.65 and an average of thirty in three games. Babar’s captaincy and batting skills have come under more scrutiny following Pakistan’s early elimination.
In their initial match of the T20 World Cup 2024, Pakistan was humiliated by the underdogs USA and never fully bounced back. After losing to India in their next match, the Men in Green defeated Canada to win their first game of the season. They were depending on Ireland defeating the USA to save them. But there was no ball bowled in Lauderhill, and the match was abandoned. The 2009 champions were removed from the prestigious ninth edition of the event as a result.
Right-hander Michael Vaughan took a swipe at the batsman, saying that he is not a T20 skipper and should only take on the role in the longer formats, where he is more skilled with the willow.
He’s still not in my opinion for a T20 captain. Given his strengths as a player, I envision him being the captain of both the Test and 50-over forms. He is a pure player with an excellent game in Twenty20 cricket, although he is not among the world’s top 15 batsmen. Hindustan Times cited Vaughan as stating, “I think there are better players than him up the order.”
Pakistan has surprised me by coming close to India: Michael Vaughan
According to Vaughan, Pakistan shouldn’t hold the weather responsible. The former captain of England believed that after coming so close, the Asian superpowers ought to have defeated India. Pakistan was defeated in the thrilling match by a mere six runs.
“The weather isn’t the culprit. They ought to have triumphed against India and the US. “They would have advanced to the Super Eights if they had won those two games,” Vaughan stated.
“This is how Pakistan typically enters World Cups—they arrive and defeat strong teams. I never thought they would get this near to India. That contest should have been theirs,” he continued.
Also read: After the T20 WC 2024 exit, Rashid Latif reposts a derogatory remark on PCB
The former cricket player turned analyst also highlighted Pakistan’s defeat in their initial game against the USA due to a nerve-wracking match.
They performed poorly in their matchup with the United States. Their defence at the back end was truly awful. There was mayhem as the final ball, Super Over, was four off. It was characteristic of Pakistan that the ball was moving over there, sprinting two and three. To the credit of the United States, they simply went into panic mode. They crossed the line, maintained their composure, and made several excellent shots.
India
