PAK Vs AFG: Pakistan Spin Legend Offers Support To Babar Azam And Team After Afghanistan Clash

In a stunning turn of events, the Pakistan cricket team faced a monumental setback on Monday night when their long-standing unbeaten streak against Afghanistan in One-Day Internationals (ODIs) came to an abrupt end in Chennai. The 1992 World Champions found themselves in uncharted territory, courtesy of Afghanistan, who secured their second victory in the ongoing ICC Cricket World Cup 2023.

This historic night was a moment of triumph for the Afghans, who have encountered numerous challenges both on and off the field. They showcased their finest performance of the tournament, achieving their highest successful chase in the 50-over format, surpassing their nine-year-old record of 274 against the UAE in 2014. In contrast, Pakistan struggled to exhibit a fighting spirit while defending their total of 283 runs. Their bowlers lacked effectiveness, the fielding was marred by errors, and most significantly, they seemed to lose their intent midway through the match.

Afghanistan capitalized on every minor error committed by the Pakistani players, facilitating their journey to victory with eight wickets in hand.

Saqlain Mushtaq Backs Babar Azam And Pakistan Team

Amidst this disheartening loss, Pakistan’s spin legend Saqlain Mushtaq extended his support to the dejected team led by Babar Azam. In a video shared on the micro-blogging site, Saqlain Mushtaq delivered an encouraging message, urging the team to rise from the ashes for the sake of national pride.

“I know you all must be down after losing to Afghanistan. But we believe in you that you will bounce back. Aur aapko karna hoga, Pakistan ki izzat ke liye, pride ke liye. Just believe in yourselves and the almighty. Put your heart and soul, and you will change the results,” Mushtaq said in the video.

“You guys must have been through several hardships. So, think about that. Where you started from and where you are now. You all are self-made and have found your destination yourself. You are street-smart and no one is braver than you.

“You all have fought the odds to be here. Pakistan ki izzat ke liye tum logo ko bounce back karna hoga (You need to bounce back for the pride of Pakistan). We all love you,” he concluded.

Pakistan’s captain, Babar Azam, expressed his disappointment with his team’s performance against Afghanistan on Monday. He acknowledged that the squad had not been delivering their best cricket recently.

“We aren’t up to the mark because we are not taking wickets in the middle overs. In the World Cup, if you are not good in even one department, then you’ll lose the match. In the field, we didn’t stop boundaries and gave away runs, that cost us,” he said.

Babar Azam also commended Afghanistan for their exceptional performance in all three departments, which ultimately led to their victory. He stressed that Pakistan needs to improve their bowling and fielding to succeed in the upcoming matches. Despite the setback, he conveyed the team’s determination to give their best effort in the matches to come. Pakistan will now face South Africa in their next World Cup fixture in Chennai. The Proteas are in terrific form and will not be an easy team to beat.