"The bowlers whom Pakistan had great pride in bowled embarrassingly" - Irfan Pathan on Men in Green's exit from the 2023 World Cup
Irfan Pathan has picked Pakistan's 'embarrassing' bowling as one of the primary reasons for their failure to qualify for the semi-finals of the 2023 World Cup.
The Men in Green lost four of their first eight games and needed a mammoth win in their final league match against England to qualify for the knockouts. Their fate was virtually sealed when Jos Buttler opted to bat first and they eventually suffered a 93-run defeat to bow out of the tournament.
During a discussion on Star Sports, Pathan attributed Pakistan's downfall to their bowlers performing well below their lofty standards. He said:
"The Pakistani bowlers couldn't adjust to Indian conditions. The bowlers whom Pakistan had great pride in bowled embarrassingly and the result of that was straightaway seen on Pakistan's unit."
The former India all-rounder pointed out that the likes of Shaheen Shah Afridi and Haris Rauf couldn't make the most of their assets. He observed:
"You definitely put emphasis on batting but if you have to perform well in the World Cup, your main bowlers need to deliver. They have everything - Shaheen Shah Afridi has swing and bounce, and Haris Rauf is almost the fastest bowler, he bowls around 150 kph."
Afridi and Rauf were Pakistan's most successful bowlers, with 18 and 16 wickets respectively. However, they weren't too penetrative with the new ball and proved quite expensive as well.
"He will have to do better than this" - Irfan Pathan on Haris Rauf
![Haris Rauf (533) has conceded the most runs in a single edition of a World Cup. [P/C: AP]](https://statico.sportskeeda.com/editor/2023/11/e67cb-16997703642785-1920.jpg?w=500)
While praising Haris Rauf for continuing to bowl despite being injured in Pakistan's last game against England, Irfan Pathan added that more is expected from the express pacer. He stated:
"If they are unable to give you control, you won't be able to find anything else. I did praise Haris Rauf in the end (of England's innings) today, he wanted to give everything for his team despite a groin issue, but he will have to do better than this."
The cricketer-turned-commentator criticized the Pakistan right-arm pacer for his inability to use the conditions and threaten batters with his pace. He elaborated:
"Haris Rauf's line and length and the movement he was supposed to get from the pitch, nothing was seen. A bowler who bowls at 150 kph should have the ability to scare and dismiss batters with bouncers, we didn't get to see that as well."
Pathan added that Babar Azam and company were also made to pay for their spinners' inability to give 20 decent overs. Shadab Khan and Mohammad Nawaz, Pakistan's first-choice spinners, picked up only two wickets apiece in the tournament. Part-time spinner Iftikhar Ahmed, who accounted for four dismissals, was the Men in Green's most economical bowler.