3 Pakistan players who could be dropped for good after 2023 World Cup ft. Imam-ul-Haq
Pakistan came into the 2023 ODI World Cup as one of the better-equipped sides. They had players in form, a team that had set chemistry and knew the sub-continent conditions better than most opponents.
However, as they approach their final league game of the season, Pakistan will be ruing the missed opportunities in the 2023 World Cup. They were guilty of not capitalizing from positions of strength and failed to close out matches from tight situations.
Their famed bowling attack looked toothless in several games and their batting lacked real intent. Captain Babar Azam's game plans and strategies baffled fans and experts, which has now left Pakistan chasing an unlikely fourth spot in their final group stage game
The team looked disjointed, lacked spirit and the stat of being the team who gave away maximum runs due to misfields (13%), points to the lack of intent in the side. Eventually, they are now in a position, where they must today chase down England's total within 2.5 overs to qualify for the semis; an outcome that is almost definitely not going to happen.
While the accountability for this dismal performance lies with everyone, including players, captains, and management, there are some players who proved to be NPAs (non-performing assets) for the side and might face axing after the completion of the tournament.
In this article, we will look at the players who might get dropped from the team after the 2023 World Cup.
3 Pakistan players who could be dropped for good after 2023 World
#3. Usama Mir
Usama Mir, who got to play four matches into the tournament, disappointed big time, especially on pitches that seemed to be conducive for spinners.
He picked up only four wickets, averaging 62.05 in as many matches. The most frustrating aspect of his bowling was his lack of control over his lengths, let alone his own.
His accomplice Shadad Khan didn't set the World Cup on fire either with his bowling but did manage to contribute with bat, which might force the axing of Usama Mir.
#2. Mohammed Nawaz
Pakistan were the second worst side in the tournament in terms of picking up wickets with spinners (with 12 wickets, they were only ahead of Sri Lanka). Also, they were the worst side in terms of the economy of spinners, with 6.76.
One of the main reasons behind their struggle was the culminative failure of Shadad Khan and Mohammad Nawaz.
Nawaz had a horrendous outing in the tournament with both bat and ball. He picked up only two wickets, averaging 111.56 with a nightmarish SR of 113.5.
While batting, he could only muster 83 runs in eight matches.
#1. Imam-ul-Haq
With Imam-ul-Haq opening for Pakistan for the majority of the tournament, their main issue was their lack of intent on the powerplay, where they languished at the bottom with a strike-rate of 76.77, and Imam's slow approach was responsible for that.
It was only when Fakhar Zaman started opening for them that a sudden approach in batting powerplay was visible, with the overall strike-rate shooting to 96.29 in this phase for the side. It is likely that Imam-Ul-Haq could soon be sitting out of the playing XI for some time to come.