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Pakistan, the finalist of the 2022 T20 World Cup, are on the edge of being eliminated from the group round! After a shocking defeat against the USA in their first match, Pakistan lost their second game against their arch-rival India. The back-to-back defeats have moved Pakistan to the 4th place, meaning that they would depend on other teams to qualify for the quarterfinals.
Pakistan are placed in Group A along with India, USA, Canada, and Ireland. India and the USA have already won their first two matches, while Canada won one of their first two games. But Pakistan and Ireland have failed to win any of their first two games as of now. As it stands, it will be nearly impossible for Pakistan to qualify for the quarterfinals. Moreover, a defeat against Canada would confirm Pakistan’s exit from the T20 World Cup, while Canada would qualify for the last eight if they beat Pakistan.
What’s Wrong With Pakistan?
Pakistan is considered the most unpredictable team in cricket. They were clear favorites in their first game against the USA. But against all odds, the USA shocked the world by winning against Pakistan.
However, made a good response in their following match against India. They showed their hunger and aggression during this match. Particularly, their pacers maintained a fantastic rhythm throughout the match. With their disciplined line and length, India repeatedly lost their wickets and became all-out in just 119 runs.
It was an easy target for Pakistan yet they failed to chase it. Here are the two main reasons why Pakistan’s game against India went wrong:
Excessive Dots: In T20 format, each ball is very crucial for a team. Playing dots is literally suicidal for a team. But when the target is small, batsmen usually do not take risks and play dots. This is what exactly happened with the openers Mohammad Rizwan and Babar Azam.
Against India, Mohammad Rizwan was too defensive and played too many dots. With a strike rate of 70. 45 only, Rizwan scored 31 runs from 44 balls! Captain Babar Azam was similar to Rizwan in the first match as he scored 44 runs from 43 balls against the USA. Due to their excessive dots, Pakistan’s required run rate went high and consequently, they could not chase it.
Middle Order Collapsed: Pakistan is heavily dependent on their top order. When Babar and Rizwan failed to make a good impact, the middle order could not handle the situation. Imad Wasim, Shadab Khan, and Iftikhar Ahmed are not getting runs in this World Cup.
Canada VS Pakistan: Prediction
Canada have already displayed their batting prowess in this World Cup. Although they lost the first match against the USA, they scored 194 runs in this match. Additionally, they defeated Ireland in their second match to stay alive in the World Cup.
Meanwhile, Pakistan have suffered two consecutive defeats. But they are still the favorite against Canada. Their bowlers are doing great. It should not be difficult for them to win against Canada.
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