Pakistan team morale after loss to India

[Savak]

Yes the defeat and the nature of the defeat to India has left all of us hurt, dissapointed and frustrated. But let's keep things in perspective, the team still has a chance to qualify for the Super 8's if they win against Namibia.

Some Geo reporters on tv and social media are reporting that Mike Hesson gave the senior players a brutal tongue lashing after the game and he has made it clear to them i.e. Babar and Shaheen that they are not going to play the next game.

It is the job of the team management and the captain to lift the morale of the players and despite their limited abilities to make them believe that they are good enough to win and proceed further in the tournament. Mickey Arthur and Sarfaraz Ahmed did it in the 2017 CT.

I am just worried Hesson verbally lashing out the senior players and replacing them for the next game will not spread panic and further demoralize the team.

 

[Deewana Mastana]

Let’s stop pretending this is just “one bad day.” Losing is one thing but losing badly to India in that manner is a pattern we’ve seen too often. Hurt and frustration are natural, but blind optimism isn’t leadership either.

If Mike Hesson did give the seniors a dressing down, maybe it’s because the same senior core keeps failing in big moments. At some point, accountability has to replace comfort. You can’t keep backing the same names and expecting different results.

Dropping players like Babar Azam or Shaheen Afridi isn’t about panic, it’s about sending a message that no one is bigger than the team. Form, intent, and performance should matter more than reputation.

Yes, morale is important but so is standards. When Mickey Arthur and Sarfaraz Ahmed led the 2017 turnaround, they didn’t just “motivate” they demanded fight and clarity of roles.

If the team can’t beat Namibia to qualify, then let’s be honest, they don’t deserve the Super 8s anyway.

This isn’t the time to protect egos. It’s the time to protect standards.

 

[mon858]

Seriously, are they 2 year olds??? Its absolutely fine for coach to get real with players. And absolutely right thing to drop Babar and Shaheen. One game too late but better late than never.

 

[RedwoodOriginal]

If these reports are true then kudos to Hesson. I also feel we need to move past this mindset of 'it will demoralize the players'. This is international cricket. If you, as a player can't take a tongue-lashing after you have performed this poorly then you are in the wrong profession.

Take accountability and man up. Instead of acting like a bunch of mentally weak, gutless cowards... isse pehlay ke paani sar pe se guzar jaye.

 

[Technics 1210]

Source : Trust me bro.

 

[SportsWarrior]

I don’t think morale will be all that bad. I think Pak knew they will probably lose. Also they still have a chance to get to semis or final and take revenge. India or any other team can be beaten. After all this is t20 which unforgiving and fifteen minutes of good play can get you an upset. That also means india has to play good always to keep winning

 

[jnaveen1980]

The funny thing is Babar is the second highest run getter for pakistan after Farhan in this world cup lol.

 

[Kriketer]

Shaheen and Shadab must be dropped.

Despite Babar rarely ever performing against India, he still is the most reliable batsman and tends to perform against most other teams. We just don't have a pool of reliable batsmen, and anyone remotely as consistent as him. Babar is a proud minnow basher in this format, I would want him dropped from T20s too but our domestic cricket doesn't produce good batsmen and neither bench is anything you can count on

 

[Cric1234]

Babar hasn't developed his power game at all.... Struggles to hit sixes against better teams and associates too in tournaments such batting has no place in t20s today.

 

[msb314]

I really don’t understand why Saim and Salman do not get criticism for their lack of game awareness…

Saim has failed in the Asia Cup and now looking like a dud in the WorldT20 too.. Invented himself as all-rounder to save his place in the team once he realized his batting is rubbish.

Same goes Salman… trying to be an all-rounder now but should he criticizing his game awareness after the awful shot he played against Bumrah

 

[jnaveen1980]

Each player is trying to hide behind "all rounder" role. In Srilanka getting away with these numbers as a spinner is not that hard. Your main department is batting. That is where you have to shine.

 

[ads101]

Part of me thinks Babar is playing just as a scapegoat. If we lose, we played Babar. If Babar were out, there would be people complaining we would have done better had Babar been included. Babar is playing at 4, which isn’t going to be his best place to perform with his game, has to be top order.

They have made so many mistakes. Playing too many allrounders. Their shuffling of Hasan and Haris in the past was disastrous. The toss decision wrong.

Babar isn’t to blame for picking himself. In fact I have no idea why they recalled someone out of form. He should never have come back to the squad until he excelled in PSL. I don’t think he’d perform in the top 3 let alone at 4 these days.

Shaheen what can you do. He has been inconsistent for a long time. When he turns up, he turns up. If you don’t want him to play, don’t pick him.

 

[prash88]

Pakistan just ran into the best side in the competition. Pakistan is in a tough super 8 group with NZ, Eng and SL. They have to be at their best to reach semis....

 

[CrIc_Mystique]

The point here is to get into a KO stages, anything can happen in this format, any team can win or lose in a big KO game.

Lastly, i remember in 2016 or so, my pak friend sending this link from PSL in which there were two amazing runouts done by shadaab Khan, when he was relatively unknown. At point/CT 2017 or so, i really thought this dude would be the next shahid afridi type allrounder.
He's one guy who has regressed unbelievably.
I cannot recall the last time he won a ODI/T200 against a leading team at all or even an impactful performance. He can't spin it, his lenghts are atrocious and he gives these freebies almost every ball, his batting has also gone down the drain so fast.
Yes, he is a brilliant fielder and thats about it. Even that Sajid don guy can spin it better than him and could have been more useful here.