Ind vs Pak - Mohammad Rizwan after India loss: 'We can say for now that it is over'

Ind vs Pak – Mohammad Rizwan after India loss: ‘We can say for now that it is over’

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Pakistan’s cricket team, the defending champions, is on the brink of elimination after losing to India and facing challenges that depend on other teams’ results. Captain Mohammad Rizwan expressed frustration at relying on others and acknowledged a need for improvement after repeated mistakes in recent matches. Their chances hinge on the outcome of a game between New Zealand and Bangladesh. Rizwan’s own batting performance, along with tactical decisions, has come under scrutiny as they lack momentum. The team’s reliance on key players, sidelined due to injuries, further complicates their situation, prompting questions about their squad composition and strategy moving forward.

The reigning champions have just one game left against Bangladesh and now must depend on other teams’ results in the group to make it to the semifinals. This is a scenario that Pakistan has often encountered in recent tournaments, and it’s something Rizwan is not particularly fond of.

“For now, we can say it’s over,” Rizwan stated following the match. “That is the reality. We will have to wait and see what Bangladesh does against New Zealand, then New Zealand against India, and finally what we do. It’s a long journey that depends on other teams.”

“As a captain, I dislike relying on others. If you’re good enough, you prove it by winning and controlling your own fate. I don’t like having to worry about other teams’ results. The important thing is that India and New Zealand defeated us. They played well, while we didn’t perform to our potential. If we get an opportunity [to advance], then we’ll take it.”

Rizwan admitted that the team will face difficult questions regarding their performances during this tournament. Their exit will be confirmed if New Zealand defeats Bangladesh in Rawalpindi on Monday, making it the third consecutive ICC white-ball tournament in which they have failed to reach the knockout stage.

Having taken over the white-ball captaincy late last year and leading the team to ODI series victories in Australia and South Africa, Rizwan was frustrated to see his side repeating the same mistakes they made in recent defeats during a tri-series with New Zealand and South Africa, as well as in their opening game here.

His innings today – a 46 off 77 balls – will be scrutinized similarly to Babar Azam’s performance in the opening loss. It was largely uneventful until a late push, but his dismissal was one of three quick wickets in the middle stages that robbed Pakistan of any momentum they had developed.

“When you lose, it’s naturally disappointing, and it’s a tough time with challenging questions arising,” he remarked. “We made errors in all three areas, which is why we lost today.”

“In our team meeting yesterday, we discussed targeting a score between 270-280, considering the slow outfield and pitch. Had we achieved 280, the outcome might have been different. Saud [Shakeel] and I were building a partnership, but after that, our shot selection was poor. This gave them an opportunity to take wickets and put pressure on our middle order. They capitalized, and we couldn’t regain our stability.”

“We repeated errors we’ve made in the last several matches. These mistakes aren’t new; they’ve been consistent in our previous four games. We work on them, but we’re human, and such errors happen. We’re putting in the effort to correct them. I truly believe that India’s performance was superior; they were braver than us, which is why they secured the win. We made mistakes, especially in moments when we needed to demonstrate bravery. We needed to bring more energy to our fielding, but perhaps we fell short, leading to those mistakes.”

In some ways, the limitations of Pakistan’s batting were compounded even before the tournament began. The injury to Saim Ayub, who suffered a fractured ankle, deprived them of a young, in-form opener, and just two balls into their opening match, they effectively lost Fakhar Zaman, their other opener capable of quick starts.
Rizwan expressed regret over the loss of both players, particularly Ayub, who could have also contributed as a spin bowler. This left Pakistan depending heavily on Imam-ul-Haq in this match, an opener with a vastly different playing style.
Moreover, the decision to include only one specialist spinner in the squad – Abrar Ahmed – has been under scrutiny throughout the tri-series and the two matches in this tournament. Rizwan, however, stated they couldn’t afford to bring in another specialist, despite Abrar being their top performer across the two games.
“In ODIs, you can’t play with five genuine bowlers. Naseem [Shah], Shaheen [Afridi], Haris [Rauf], and Abrar. The fifth bowler, as seen with New Zealand and India, needs to be a combination of effective all-rounders. The best options available were selected by the selectors – Salman Agha and Khushdil Shah. If we had included two genuine spinners, that would mean going with five bowlers and six batters, which wouldn’t work as a combination. So yes, while there will be questions about the lack of another spinner, fielding five genuine bowlers in an ODI isn’t viable. Perhaps in a T20.”

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