Pakistan cricket team finds itself under intense scrutiny following their lackluster performance against a depleted New Zealand side in the ongoing T20I series, especially by their middle-order batters.
With New Zealand leading the series 2-1, Pakistan’s hopes of clinching victory now seem dashed, as even a win in the final match would only level the series.
Pakistan’s scoring rate in the middle overs of T20I cricket is particularly concerning, which has raised alarm bells among fans, especially with the 2024 World Cup looming just over a month away.
Despite boasting players like Mohammad Rizwan and Babar Azam, both among the fastest to reach 3,000 runs in T20I cricket (in terms of innings), Pakistan has struggled to adopt an aggressive approach.
Rizwan and Babar, in particular, have faced criticism for their slow batting in the middle overs, often leaving too much for the lower-order batsmen to achieve. This trend has solidified with statistical evidence, prompting growing concern among fans.
Pakistan’s middle-order batting has long been a subject of scrutiny, and recent performances have only exacerbated the issue. Their scoring rate in overs 7-15 stands at a meagre 7.30, placing them only above Afghanistan in this aspect.
Scoring rate T20Is during overs 7-15
- 9.75 — Australia
- 9.35 — South Africa
- 8.97 — India
- 8.56 — West Indies
- 8.22 — Sri Lanka
- 8.20 — England
- 8.07 — New Zealand
- 7.46 — Ireland
- 7.36 — Bangladesh
- 7.30 — Pakistan
- 7.01 — Afghanistan
Comparatively, teams like Australia, South Africa, and India boast significantly higher scoring rates during the middle overs, highlighting the gap in Pakistan’s approach.
As the 2024 T20 World Cup draws near, these concerns become even more pronounced for Pakistan, who finished as runners-up in the last edition.
While they have a pool of talented players in the middle and lower-middle order, including Rizwan, Fakhar Zaman, Iftikhar Ahmed, Shadab Khan, Imad Wasim, and Usman Khan, the team management must rethink their strategy.
It is imperative that every batter is played in their rightful position to extract optimal performance. Failure to address these issues could spell another disappointment for the nation on the global stage.
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