New Delhi: Pakistan's cricket team has hit a rough patch in the ODI World Cup 2023, with consecutive losses against arch-rivals India and cricket powerhouses Australia. Their recent showdown against Afghanistan was seen as an opportunity to turn the tide, but instead, they succumbed to their first-ever ODI defeat against their less-heralded neighbors, marking a disheartening hat-trick of losses for only the second time in World Cup history. The last occasion they endured such a slump was a staggering 24 years ago, when they faced defeats against Bangladesh, South Africa, and India in the 1999 World Cup. Remarkably, Pakistan rebounded then, making it to the final, though ultimately losing to Australia.

In light of this history, one might expect Pakistan to recover and at least reach the final of the 2023 ODI World Cup in India. However, the current Pakistani team is a far cry from its illustrious past, appearing disjointed, devoid of direction, and devoid of spirit.

Pakistan initiated their World Cup journey with two commendable victories. The first, an 81-run win against the Netherlands, though not as dominant as desired, was a promising start. Following that, they mounted an impressive run chase against Sri Lanka, successfully pursuing a 345-run target with ten balls and six wickets to spare. It was the sort of victory that set the stage for their highly anticipated match against India in Ahmedabad on October 14.

The marquee contest garnered attention worldwide but failed to live up to the hype. India clinched a comfortable seven-wicket victory, leaving a visible mark on Pakistan's morale. Their subsequent 62-run loss to Australia further deflated the players, and the aftermath of negativity became palpable in their defeat against Afghanistan.

So, what ails the Pakistani team?

Lack of Intent: Pakistan's batting performance against Afghanistan wasn't poor in the powerplay, where they scored at a rate of 5.6 runs per over without losing a wicket. However, their inability to capitalize on this strong start is concerning. During the second powerplay (10-40 overs), they managed to score only 135 runs while losing four wickets at a run rate of 4.50. This performance doesn't align with the modern-day standards of aggressive cricket. Captain Babar Azam should shoulder some of the blame for slowing down the innings with an abundance of dot balls, eventually getting dismissed for 74 off 92 balls in the 42nd over, missing an opportunity to compensate for the sluggish middle overs.

Lack of Early Impetus: Abdullah Shafique, the lone bright spot in Pakistan's underwhelming campaign, hit two sixes within the first 10 overs. This marked the first time a Pakistani batsman had achieved this feat within the powerplay in ODIs in 2023. Remarkably, this was Pakistan's 20th ODI inning in 2023, and their first six in the first powerplay came after 1168 balls. This statistic underscores Pakistan's reluctance to adopt an attacking approach in the early overs, a necessity in modern-day cricket. Considering that Shafique and Imam-ul-Haq possess the skills to play positively, promoting Muhammad Rizwan to open with Shafique could be a viable strategy.

Misfiring Bowlers: Pakistan's renowned bowling strength has faltered in the World Cup. With only 23 wickets out of a possible 40 in five matches, they have failed to bowl out the opposition even once. Shaheen Shah Afridi has shouldered the bulk of the wicket-taking responsibility, amassing 10 wickets out of the 23, with the other bowlers struggling to complement his performance. The spinners have also failed to make an impact, even on spin-friendly pitches.

Dismal Fielding: The adage "catches win matches" seems to be lost on Pakistan, as they have underperformed in both ground fielding and catching throughout the tournament. Notably, they dropped Kusal Mendis during the match against Sri Lanka when he was on 18, and he proceeded to make a scintillating hundred. In their game against Australia, Pakistan missed a total of three catches, including two from David Warner, who went on to score a blazing century. Additionally, their ground fielding has been subpar, to say the least, for a team that boasts the 1992 World Cup championship.

The challenges confronting Pakistan in the ODI World Cup 2023 are multifaceted, demanding a comprehensive reevaluation of their approach and performance if they are to recapture their past glory on the cricketing stage.