Things aren’t going smoothly in the Pakistan cricket team’s camp. According to reports, there are some troubles arising between the players. The team, led by Babar Azam, seemed like they were on their way to the Asia Cup 2023 final, where they would face India.
However, their hopes were dashed when they didn’t make it to the final. Defending champions Sri Lanka managed to win a thrilling match against Pakistan in a rain-shortened 42-over game during the Super Four stage.
This meant Pakistan finished at the bottom of the Super Four points table. Earlier, their dreams had already been crushed by India in Colombo in another rain-affected match.
India secured their spot in the final by defeating both Pakistan and Sri Lanka in the Asia Cup Super Four. This set the stage for a crucial match between Pakistan and Sri Lanka, almost like a semi-final. Pakistan, led by Mohammad Rizwan’s 87 and Iftikhar Ahmed’s quick 47 off 40 balls, managed to score 252 runs for seven wickets in 42 overs.
Sri Lanka faced an early setback as they lost both their openers due to a remarkable fielding effort by Shadab Khan. However, a century partnership between Kusal Mendis and Sadeera Samarawickrama frustrated Pakistan.
The match went to the final over bowled by Zaman Khan. Although Pakistan took an wicket in that over, Charith Asalanka’s unbeaten 49 guided Sri Lanka to victory, knocking Pakistan out of the competition.
After Pakistan’s surprising exit from the Asia Cup, reports from Samaa TV and Bol News in Pakistan have revealed that Babar Azam had a heated discussion with the team in the dressing room. He openly criticized the players for their poor performances and remarked that “Pakistan didn’t look like the No. 1 ranked ODI team against Sri Lanka.”
Babar, the Pakistan captain, also issued a warning to the players, stating, “Don’t consider yourselves superstars (Zyada superstar na bane). If you lose in the World Cup, nobody will view you as superstars.” Despite Shaheen Afridi’s attempt to interject and request some appreciation for the players, Babar remained resolute, emphasizing the need for the team to refocus on their performance with the World Cup on the horizon.
Breaking: Babar Azam wasn't happy with the players in the dressing room after the match. He told the players 'Khud ko ziyada superstars na samjhein, World Cup sir pe hay. Agar hum aik ho kar khelte toh match jeet sakte thay' Oh my captain, relax ☹️♥️
— Farid Khan (@_FaridKhan) September 15, 2023
– via Qadir Khawaja… pic.twitter.com/GeSOM0yIG0
