T20 World Cup: Azhar Ali reacts to Pakistan exit before Super 8

Former Pakistan captain Azhar Ali has opened up on the mindset of the Men in Green after they couldn't qualify for the Super 8 of the T20 World Cup 2024.

“Very disappointed. It is what they call ‘writing on the wall’ We lost the first two games and then when you depend on the weather and other teams the same thing does not repeat itself again and again. You just can not move forward in events based on luck," the former captain stated on a local sports channel. 

“We are very complacent. We lose games in easy situations. We need to put on our A game all the time, especially against teams you can easily win. The matches that you are expected to win you should win them and dominate in them. I think we are complacent and irresponsible in this matter," he added. 

Pakistan only managed to win one of their three group games against Canada while they lost against India and a relatively inexperienced team from the USA. Then the team depended on the result of their remaining match against Ireland which is to be played on Sunday in Florida and the results of USA vs Ireland.

Pakistan required the USA to defeat Ireland and defeat Ireland by a margin to earn their place in the Super 8. However, the match between USA and Ireland was called off due to excessive rain in Florida ending Pakistan’s hopes to qualify for the Super 8s.

“This is very sorrowful for me that the Pakistan team could not qualify for the Super 8 from this pool of teams. India was the only strong team (in the pool) but we had the USA match in our hands, the conditions were in our favour and it was not like we lost early wickets or lost the toss that is why we lost the match. There was nothing like this in the match. We lost it because of game awareness and the selection policies,” the former captain stated.

Azhar also fumed about the head coach coming in just days before the T20 World Cup and said that the team can not always perform in unsettling situations.

“The coach came in 13 days before the T20 World Cup. You can not play in such a hassle. We have performed previously with these same conditions within the team but we have never learnt that good performance dwells from a long and right process. You can not produce good results with a wrong process all the time.”

The former Test cricketer also targeted Pakistan’s domestic system for not preparing players for their time, “Whenever a player performs at a mediocre level, he is sidelined from the team and another player from the top performers of the domestic circuit is brought forward in the team. It is the responsibility of the system to train and skill players.”

The Pakistan cricket team is scheduled to fly home after they play their last match of the T20 World Cup against Ireland in Florida on June 16.  

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