A disappointed Babar Azam, the captain of the Pakistan cricket team, admitted that their bowling attack was not up to par after suffering an eight-wicket defeat to Afghanistan in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 match in Chennai on October 23, 2023.
Afghanistan successfully chased down the target of 283 runs with six balls to spare, thanks to impressive performances from opener Ibrahim Zadran (87 off 113 balls) and Rahmanullah Gurbaz (65 off 53 balls). Rahmat Shah and captain Hashmatullah Shahidi also contributed with unbeaten scores of 77 and 48 respectively. This victory adds to Afghanistan’s reputation as giant-killers, having previously defeated defending champions England in the tournament.
Pakistan’s loss in this match has put them in a precarious position, with their chances of advancing in the tournament hanging by a thread. Speaking at the post-match presentation, Babar Azam acknowledged that their bowling performance was lacking, particularly in the middle overs where they failed to take wickets.
“In a World Cup, if you are not good in even one department, you lose. We started well while bowling, but we couldn’t take wickets,” Babar said, giving credit to Afghanistan for their victory. He also expressed his disappointment with Pakistan’s overall performance, stating that they have not been playing good cricket, particularly in bowling and fielding.
Afghanistan captain Hashmatullah Shahidi described the win as “nice” and praised his team’s professional approach to the chase. He highlighted the excellent performance of their spin bowlers and their ability to control the game from start to finish. Ibrahim Zadran, who was named Player of the Match for his crucial innings, expressed his satisfaction with his performance and credited his partnership with Gurbaz for their success.
Former captain Mohammad Nabi emphasized the significance of this win for Afghanistan, as they had previously lost all eight matches against Pakistan since 2012. He described it as a fantastic feeling and a moment of confidence for the team. Nabi also mentioned that the team believed they could have won against Bangladesh as well, but now they need to regroup and make the most of the remaining matches in the tournament.