World Cup T20: India humbled Pakistan again
They began training with light football and the laughter, giggles and relaxed body language stood in stark contrast. There were hardly any jokes during their two clean sessions before the India match. Everything was intense.The presence of Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Mohsin Naqvi, who is also the interior minister in Shehbaz Sharif’s cabinet, appears to be adding to the pressure on the Salman Ali Agha-led side.It is learned that Mohsin Naqvi hosted the team for dinner on the eve of the match and breakfast on the day of the match but left the stadium after Pakistan lost their sixth wicket. A similar episode occurred during the Asia Cup when the president of the board met the players a day before the match.Pakistan coach Mike Hesson has defended Mohsin Naqvi’s frequent visits ahead of the matches against India. “The chairman is a big supporter of ours and he comes all the time and before the games. I don’t think it adds any more pressure. That’s part of his role. Our lads know we represent Pakistan,” Hesson said after the match.
Does Mohsin Naqvi’s presence add further pressure?
Certainly yes. With fewer cameras around, the players looked much calmer at the SSC where they face Namibia in a must-win game. A win takes Pakistan into the Super Eight, while a loss sends them home.
Lack of clarity
Pakistan’s struggles against India are often framed as a matter of temperament or selection, but the deeper issue is a chronic lack of role clarity. No team has experimented more in T20 World Cups. Pakistan have used 29 players in the last four editions, the most among regular members.Take the example of Babar Azam. Pakistan’s loss to India was due to poor bowling execution and top-order collapse, and Babar was not directly responsible. But his presence at No.4 highlights a recurring flaw in Pakistan’s mindset, assigning roles that don’t suit the player’s skills.
Pakistan’s Babar Azam (PTI Photo)
Even during his peak years in T20 cricket from 2018 to 2023, Babar’s limitations were evident: a modest strike rate and difficulty accelerating against spin. There is no cricketing logic to suggest that a batsman struggling to dominate the Powerplay as an opener suddenly flourishes in the middle overs. The limited evidence supporting this idea is largely due to weakened or lower opposition.The same confusion applies to the bowling unit. Pakistan overloaded their XI with all-rounders, seemingly to cover every scenario, but without a clear plan of when and if they would be needed.Against India, Pakistan fielded eight bowling options, but only three – Shaheen Afridi, Abrar Ahmed and Usman Tariq – were selected primarily for their bowling. One bowled just two overs, while the other was only introduced in the 11th over, suggesting a strategy heavily reliant on part-times.Faheem Ashraf’s role sums up the confusion. He did not bowl a single over in the tournament and bowled only four overs in the last eight T20Is. Batting at No. 8 suggests Pakistan don’t trust his batting either, restricting him to a short two-three through the window.If Salman Agha was always going to open the bowling, it raises a crucial question. Why load up the XI with three extra spin-bowling all-rounders? Especially when the Indian batting consistently dominates the Pakistani spinners regardless of the conditions.By assembling the team through rotation, Pakistan have put all their eggs in one basket. When Shaheen had an off day, there was no Plan B. Pakistan ended up playing 18 spins, which no other team in the T20 World Cup had done and no side had ever used six spins in a match at this level.T20 cricket has moved on. What once looked innovative, stuffing an XI with seven or eight bowling options, now seems counterproductive. Pitcher overload often creates insecurity among specialists who feel they only have more than two to justify their spot.
Clues from networks
Watching Pakistan at the nets is fun when they are not under pressure.Naseem Shah bowled a searing yorker to Saim Ayub which the opener managed to squeeze out. Naseem sledged him and said “Match mein bhi aisa khelta” (You should have played Bumrah’s yorker like this in the match too). Saim smiled and nodded.Shadab Khan, who conceded 17 runs in the single over he bowled, bowled mostly at Saim and kept questioning his lengths.Saim’s opening partner Sahibzada Farhan ordered Naseem Shah and left-arm pacer Salman Mirza to jump back a bit. Farhan looked calm, pulling and hooking the bowlers in the nets.Then came the captain, not Salman Ali Agha, but Babar Azam, the former two-time captain. Shadab Khan and Abrar Ahmed still addressed Babar as “skipper”.Captain or not, Babar remains a leader in the dressing room. He still shared inputs with Abrar and others. However, he looked uncomfortable when it came to power plays and looked unhappy with his shot selection. Coach Mike Hesson rushed to him, spoke a few words and tried to calm him down. After a decent power play, Babar walked away from the net visibly angry with himself.
Pressure on Babar and Shaheen
Pressure is mounting on senior professionals Babar Azam and Shaheen Shah Afridi. Babar has not hit a six against a Full Member team in the T20 World Cup since the 10-wicket win over India in Dubai in 2021.The 31-year-old endured a poor Big Bash League season, scoring just 202 runs in 11 innings at a strike rate of 103.06. When Babar was dropped from Pakistan’s T20I side, Mike Hesson said he needed to perform in the BBL, where his returns have been stunning.
Pakistan’s Shaheen Afridi (PTI Photo/Arun Sharma)
Shaheen is also not the force he used to be. The left hand mower becomes predictable. The Nets seemed unlikely to play Wednesday’s game. Despite encouragement from his coach, he barely bowled. Instead, he bats and spins the arm with a left-arm spin to Fakhar Zaman, who can return to the side and Babar moves back up. In this scenario, Sahibzada Farhan could make way.“One game does not define their ability or caliber,” Usman Tariq said in a pre-match press conference.“There is no doubt that Shaheen and Babar have won many matches for Pakistan. If something like this happens, they know how to recover because they are senior players,” he added.Until Pakistan stops mistaking flexibility for indecision, India will continue to expose cracks. Talent was never an issue. It has clarity. And unless roles are clearly defined and trusted, Pakistan will arrive at the World Cup with options on paper and uncertainty on the field.