What positives, if any, can Pakistan take away from their ICC World Cup 2023 campaign?

[Suleiman]

World Cups are not won by topping the league stage. You have to win the KO's.

One step at a time.

 

[captain.hansolo]

You truly believe he is the best keeper/batsman in the world?

Are you currently roaming around in Nabu captain Hans solo?

He did well in the few games. With QDK retiring some 5 years prematurely that makes rizwan the default next best.

 

[globetrotter]

Discipline, Practice, Physical fitness

 

[knitin777]

1. Haris R - 4 over baller
2. Faker Z - flat track (bangaluru) player, can’t play same knock at Chennai.
3. Babar - good skipper with non attacking mentality.
4. Rizwan - Can play only T20, in ODIs once in a moon.
5. SSA - real talent.
6. Rest - extra luggage

 

[zulfiqar]

The only positive for Pakistan is though they performed worse than the top 4 teams in the world at the moment, they were better than all the other teams in world cricket. The problem with this is that we want to do better than this. Besides one incredible performance at the ICC Champions Trophy in 2017, the last time we were a consistent top 4 ODI side was in 2011 World Cup where we topped the group stage table with the likes of Aus, NZ, and SL in our group, and looked unstoppable save for an even better Indian side that were destined to win at home.

Outside of that, if you framed the question in this way : "What positives are there for Pakistan looking forward to the ICCT 2025 and ODI WC 2027?" My genuine answer would be, none.

Batting

• Mohammad Rizwan was our best batsman by a mile, and could have finished higher on the run scoring charts if he had the chance to play a full innings vs Ban and NZ. But we already knew he was this capable before the tournament and had he played one more good innings vs either SA or AFG, he could've carried this team into the semifinals.
• Abdullah Shafiq and Saud Shakeel had good tournaments from a Pakistan standard, but are these our answers for the future? Compare Shafiq to de Kock, Rohit, Gill, Warner, Travis Head, or Shakeel to Glen Maxwell, Klaasen, Ivyer Shras, etc. and you'll see that they lack the impact that's required from their position in modern day ODI cricket.
• I have nothing to say about the rest. Fakhar is so inconsistent that not even his "friends" in the team trusted him to come back from his abysmal form leading into the tournament. Babar went missing 2 times in 2 WCs (2022 T20 and now this), which is worrying for Pak fans. Iftikhar, Shadab, Nawaz... there was no impact from anyone.

Bowling

• Nothing needs to be said - we all know how pathetic everyone was except for Shaheen. M Wasim showed performance but without Naseem we didn't have 2 proper new ball bowlers and when we tried a spinner in the PP it didn't work - an area where we've traditionally done well (think Imad Wasim, or M Hafeez). Spinners in the middle overs were abysmal. Shaheen is the only star in this line-up. Most of us would say he had a poor tournament as he didn't impact the powerplay as much as we're used to seeing (he got Gill, de Kock, and should have had Warner, but that's about it), but still, I am sure his numbers still looked good.

Fielding - yeah.. I wish that one day we have a side that makes fielding highlights regularly, like we see from other sides.

We have a lot of work to do before 2025 ICCT.

 

[gazza619]

Pakistan somehow got the 5th spot but the reality is that we should have been 7th. Afghanistan was more deserving than us and England were asleep throughout the tournament.

There is absolutely no way we would have chased 400 against NZ if rain hadn't interfered.

Zero positives as far as I am concerned.

 

[mominsaigol]

The only positive for Pakistan is though they performed worse than the top 4 teams in the world at the moment, they were better than all the other teams in world cricket. The problem with this is that we want to do better than this. Besides one incredible performance at the ICC Champions Trophy in 2017, the last time we were a consistent top 4 ODI side was in 2011 World Cup where we topped the group stage table with the likes of Aus, NZ, and SL in our group, and looked unstoppable save for an even better Indian side that were destined to win at home.

Outside of that, if you framed the question in this way : "What positives are there for Pakistan looking forward to the ICCT 2025 and ODI WC 2027?" My genuine answer would be, none.

Batting

• Mohammad Rizwan was our best batsman by a mile, and could have finished higher on the run scoring charts if he had the chance to play a full innings vs Ban and NZ. But we already knew he was this capable before the tournament and had he played one more good innings vs either SA or AFG, he could've carried this team into the semifinals.
• Abdullah Shafiq and Saud Shakeel had good tournaments from a Pakistan standard, but are these our answers for the future? Compare Shafiq to de Kock, Rohit, Gill, Warner, Travis Head, or Shakeel to Glen Maxwell, Klaasen, Ivyer Shras, etc. and you'll see that they lack the impact that's required from their position in modern day ODI cricket.
• I have nothing to say about the rest. Fakhar is so inconsistent that not even his "friends" in the team trusted him to come back from his abysmal form leading into the tournament. Babar went missing 2 times in 2 WCs (2022 T20 and now this), which is worrying for Pak fans. Iftikhar, Shadab, Nawaz... there was no impact from anyone.

Bowling

• Nothing needs to be said - we all know how pathetic everyone was except for Shaheen. M Wasim showed performance but without Naseem we didn't have 2 proper new ball bowlers and when we tried a spinner in the PP it didn't work - an area where we've traditionally done well (think Imad Wasim, or M Hafeez). Spinners in the middle overs were abysmal. Shaheen is the only star in this line-up. Most of us would say he had a poor tournament as he didn't impact the powerplay as much as we're used to seeing (he got Gill, de Kock, and should have had Warner, but that's about it), but still, I am sure his numbers still looked good.

Fielding - yeah.. I wish that one day we have a side that makes fielding highlights regularly, like we see from other sides.

We have a lot of work to do before 2025 ICCT.

Rizwan was the best batsmen by a Mile? Are you kidding me?

 

[Technics 1210]

The realisation that the PSL is not the measure of player talent/performance.

So many users here using PSL performances to justify inclusions/exclusions at the international level. Clearly devoid of even the basic understanding and requirements of cricket.

 

[zulfiqar]

Pakistan somehow got the 5th spot but the reality is that we should have been 7th. Afghanistan was more deserving than us and England were asleep throughout the tournament.

There is absolutely no way we would have chased 400 against NZ if rain hadn't interfered.

Zero positives as far as I am concerned.

Nah, we are rightly placed at 5. Think about it, we finished 5th in 2023, we finished 5th in 2019, if you look at the 4 losing Quarter-finalists in 2015, we finished higher than the remaining 3 (SL, Ban, WI), so essentially we finished 5th in 2015. We are straight up the 5th best ODI team in the world, stuck there for the past 12 years.

 

[zulfiqar]

Rizwan was the best batsmen by a Mile? Are you kidding me?

Wait, who else from Pakistan performed better than Rizwan? Don't say Fakhar - the team didn't trust him to be in the side for more than half the games.

 

[Kroll]

Wait, who else from Pakistan performed better than Rizwan? Don't say Fakhar - the team didn't trust him to be in the side for more than half the games.

He basically won us the game against NZ when we needed it against all the odds, what did Rizwan do?

 

[Saj]

The biggest positive is that several players have been found out and unmasked as mediocre cricketers with inflated egos and very high opinions of themselves.

Hopefully Pakistan will move on from such average cricketers in future.

 

[Tintin]

Positive is at least they got to taste the mutton biryani especially the one prepared at Kolkata with the potato in it .. tastes yummy

 

[zulfiqar]

He basically won us the game against NZ when we needed it against all the odds, what did Rizwan do?

Rizwan's 130+* was instrumental in winning the game vs SL where we were 37-2? He continuously made valuable contributions and was our top run scorer averaging 65 with a S/R of 95? Would've also scored plenty of runs against Bangladesh if there was more time left and would've helped himself vs NZ as well on that flat track. Fakhar was amazing in the 2 games he played later, but how valuable are you as a player if your own form is so inconsistent that your team doesn't want to play you?

 

[shamaan]

Positives:
1. Saud Shakeel has proven himself to be a world class bat
2. Babar Azam's captaincy has finally been exposed without any fluke semi place to cover it up
3. Rizwan has been exposed as a rubbish keeper and stat padder
4. Babar's batting has shown to be ineffective when it comes to pressure moments
5. Shaheen has been exposed as a one over wonder who without swing becomes a poor mans Rahat Ali

Their are a few more positives to note however the key thing is that the gang of four (Babar, Rizwan, Shaheen and Shadab) have all been revealed to the public to be mediocre cricketers who play for themselves rather than the team. Hopefully by being exposed, actual systemic changes will take place

Rubbish keeper please provide stats

 

[mominsaigol]

Wait, who else from Pakistan performed better than Rizwan? Don't say Fakhar - the team didn't trust him to be in the side for more than half the games.

Brother don't quote me on who Pakistan trusts and who they don't trust.

Theirs no merit system in Pakistan. Shadab amd nawaz were the 2 worst spinners in the asia cup, even worse then Nepal. And their the 2 worst bowlers on this cup, only surpassed by Joe root who isn't even a bowler just a part timer.

Yet babar called them his match winners. Theirs no merit system. Its a dosti yaari corrupt nepotistic system.

As for rizwan, after his 131, he failed every single game in a row, so the whole consistency stuff goes out the window. Rizzu is 10x more I consistent then fakhar was irrespective if he's trusted or not trusted. Rizzu is in every game because of the management corporation he's running.

even then he got booted out of the test squad due to sarfraz.

 

[mominsaigol]

Rizwan's 130+* was instrumental in winning the game vs SL where we were 37-2? He continuously made valuable contributions and was our top run scorer averaging 65 with a S/R of 95? Would've also scored plenty of runs against Bangladesh if there was more time left and would've helped himself vs NZ as well on that flat track. Fakhar was amazing in the 2 games he played later, but how valuable are you as a player if your own form is so inconsistent that your team doesn't want to play you?

He made what valuable contributions? He failed every game in a row after that 131 game? That Bangladesh game is an assumption from your end, he scored 25 not out at the backend.

As for the average. Its inflated obviously cause of the 131. Remove that game and his average drops to 34

And Abdullah scored more 50's and made a century in that game as well.

What valuable runs are you talking about bhai? You're acting as if he succeded in those games.

 

[shamaan]

Brother don't quote me on who Pakistan trusts and who they don't trust.

Theirs no merit system in Pakistan. Shadab amd nawaz were the 2 worst spinners in the asia cup, even worse then Nepal. And their the 2 worst bowlers on this cup, only surpassed by Joe root who isn't even a bowler just a part timer.

Yet babar called them his match winners. Theirs no merit system. Its a dosti yaari corrupt nepotistic system.

As for rizwan, after his 131, he failed every single game in a row, so the whole consistency stuff goes out the window. Rizzu is 10x more I consistent then fakhar was irrespective if he's trusted or not trusted. Rizzu is in every game because of the management corporation he's running.

even then he got booted out of the test squad due to sarfraz.

Rizwan is in the squad and hasn't been dropped its because he's a the best wicket keeper batsman in the middle order.

 

[Kroll]

The biggest positive is that several players have been found out and unmasked as mediocre cricketers with inflated egos and very high opinions of themselves.

Hopefully Pakistan will move on from such average cricketers in future.

Go on Saj bhai, name and shame, time for holding back is over.

 

[Kroll]

Rizwan's 130+* was instrumental in winning the game vs SL where we were 37-2? He continuously made valuable contributions and was our top run scorer averaging 65 with a S/R of 95? Would've also scored plenty of runs against Bangladesh if there was more time left and would've helped himself vs NZ as well on that flat track. Fakhar was amazing in the 2 games he played later, but how valuable are you as a player if your own form is so inconsistent that your team doesn't want to play you?

Ah yes, the mighty SL of which the only team they finished above was Netherlands and who also got bowled out for 50. I actually should have put a disclaimer in my previous post that do not mention, SL, Dutch of Bangla.

 

[VForVendetta]

The biggest positive is that several players have been found out and unmasked as mediocre cricketers with inflated egos and very high opinions of themselves.

Hopefully Pakistan will move on from such average cricketers in future.

But weren't most of these "guys" found out & embarrassed in last year (t20 wc) as well? What happened after then? What action was taken?

Nothing, zlitch. The main performers of that tournament (Shan & Haris) have been either discarded or simply reduced to warm bench. Whereas the overrated kings & warriors continue to hog the spotlight. And now looking at the ridiculous drama surrounding captaincy I have zero faith & expectation regarding any change. I feel like for some unknown unfortunate reasons PCB can't take any strict action against the current team. The clique appears to be the strongest in the history of Pakistan cricket.

 

[Maliq_Mudasir]

Very few positives:

1. Saud Shakeel
2. Abdullah Shafique
3. Wasim Junior