Pakistan are alive, and the World Cup feels alive too
Pakistan have had, well, a very Pakistan-esque World Cup so far, and there is no point trying to beat around the bush. It began with two wins, and plenty of promise. Until…it was not. A thumping defeat to India, and everything began to unravel. As it usually does.
Their batting and bowling were suddenly not deemed good enough to compete on the world stage. The song choices of the DJ at the ground seemed too hostile (Dil Dil Pakistan fans, brace yourselves), and their captain Babar Azam drew plenty of flak. For anything and everything he did (and did not do) on the field.
The defeat to India sparked a run of four consecutive losses – a streak that was only ended after they got the better of Bangladesh in Kolkata on Tuesday.
Bangladesh, for context, had not won since their opening game win against Afghanistan on October 7. So, it was always a contest between two sides that had forgotten how to get past the finish line, but one that the former winners ultimately tilted in their favor.
If results align, Pakistan could yet make the World Cup semi-finals
Somehow, though, despite all of this, they are still in the hunt and are still in with a chance to reach the semi-final. And before you start throwing net run rate calculations and numbers, just soak in how the Men In Green, despite apparently being so awful at this World Cup, still find themselves here.
That is particularly pertinent because of how this World Cup has unfolded. There have been unexpected results, like Afghanistan trumping England, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka, and the Dutch stunning South Africa. But close matches and jeopardy, because of the nature of the tournament, have been in short supply.
In fact, the top four, as it stands right now, have been that way for quite a while. And with Australia opening up a four-point gap (at that stage at least) between themselves and the rest of the pack last Saturday, it felt that the four semi-finalists had already been decided.
Part of it was down to how good these sides had looked, but also because those below them just seemed to lack inspiration. Not anymore. Not anymore.
It is true that not a whole lot has changed for the 1992 champions in the past fortnight. A victory over Bangladesh, for the reasons mentioned above, should most definitely be taken with a pinch of salt, and if you were to allow your head to rule over your heart, you would still find glaring weaknesses.
But there is just something about a Pakistan team in peril and with the wheels having seemingly fallen off their campaign - somehow still in contention for the games that matter - all while former cricketers back home debate everything that is wrong with the system and current media only bothered with how many carbs, proteins, kebabs, and biryanis they are having.
For much of this World Cup, the focus has purely been on the team's culinary habits, the way they have felt far away from home in India (largely down to Dil Dil Pakistan not playing in stadiums), and how their batting lacks the firepower some of the other nations so readily possess.
A lot of that could yet be true. What is most certainly true, though, is that the Men In Green are still in with a shout. More than a shout actually. If they beat New Zealand on Saturday, they will be level on points with the Kiwis, having played the same number of games. And if they were to win by a decent margin, they would chip away at New Zealand’s net run rate too, which did not seem likely a week or so ago.
Australia, the other team currently on eight points, will be without Glenn Maxwell and Mitchell Marsh for their clash against England, and there is no clarity on when (or in Marsh’s case, if) their star all-rounders will return to the fray.
Afghanistan, who have two more points than the 1992 winners, have two very tough games to negotiate against the aforementioned Australia (in Mumbai) and table-topping South Africa (in Ahmedabad).
Shaheen Shah Afridi is now the top-ranked ODI bowler. Fakhar Zaman is back scoring runs. Babar, despite not setting the World Cup alight yet, seems to be just one good innings away from roaring back into form. The signs are there, perhaps a little intangible, but they are there.
Pakistan, thus, are alive. Barely, but they are. And by extension, the World Cup feels alive too. This is, in no way, meant as disrespect to the others competing and to those who have all but sealed qualification. Nor is this an indictment on the brand of cricket any side has played.
It is just that when Pakistan have nothing to lose, and everything to gain, all of it jolts into life - the Pakistan team themselves, the competition they are in, and the entire narrative. It is a thrill-a-minute. Crashing and burning one second, soaring the other. Jeopardy, sprinkled with a touch of hope, garnished with luck/destiny (or Qudrat ka Nizaam), added as per your taste.
That is Pakistan. That is box office. That is what this World Cup needs. The high-stakes contest features a side that could either fold completely or blow away any opposition that lies in wait.
A team that could alter the outcome of the World Cup, and change the way it is perceived forever. A possible late semi-final dash, and a prospective final four date with India, 12 years on from that heart-breaking late March evening in Mohali.
After all this build-up, do not put it past Pakistan to totally crumble and fail to make the semi-final either, while reinforcing the belief that despite coming close, they were never really that close.
But if hard-nosed, logic-driven deduction or fear of failure is your thing, well, Pakistan cricket, and an archetypal Pakistan World Cup campaign is not for you anyway.