Pakistan Fans, Stop Celebrating Mediocrity.

It was as if the cosmos conspired in Pakistan’s favour, all the stars aligned, yet Pakistan still missed their moment in the spotlight. This was supposed to be the golden generation of Pakistan, but the legacy of this team will be synonymous with their ability to lose from any given situation. Masters of snatching defeat from the jaws of victory, they add another chapter to their record by failing to chase 120 against India in the T20 World Cup in New York.

Pakistan, choosing to bowl first after winning the toss, looked to be in the driver’s seat early on. They used the slow and unpredictable pitch to their advantage, keeping the Indian batting lineup in check. However, India were still 50 at the end of the powerplay, despite losing two wickets, and kept their momentum.

Axar Patel’s cameo of 20(18) and Rishab Pant’s counterattack 42(31), along with some dropped catches and missed half chances from Pakistan, helped India inch towards their final total of 119. With cloudy conditions aiding swing and the pitch starting to hold up the ball, Pakistan were getting all the help they needed.

As Pakistan took to the field to bat, the sun peeked out, seemingly easing the pitch conditions. However, the openers cautious as always, managed just 35 runs for the loss of one wicket by the end of the powerplay.

On a pitch that progressively got tougher to bat on, Pakistan desperately needed someone to take charge and shift the momentum with a big over. But instead of accelerating, the star pair of Rizwan (SR of 99.16 in last 3 World T20 tournaments — third lowest) and Babar (SR of 89.2 in last 3 World T20 tournaments — lowest) reinforced why they’ve been drawing criticism lately.

Both teams displayed eerily similar trends. Both started well but lost their way after the third wicket fell in the 12th/13th over, failing to recover from there. But for Pakistan, this can only be described as a monumental bottle job. They needed 47 runs from 47 balls with eight wickets in hand, yet they somehow ended up on 113, not even being bowled out. Criminal.

This Pakistani team under Babar Azam has delivered historic embarrassments to the country yet still refuses to learn from its mistakes. The situation with this team is like a chronic patient who refuses to undergo necessary surgery.

In this latest defeat, Pakistan managed the same number of sixes as India (2) and even played fewer dot balls despite batting the full 20 overs. But they couldn’t match India’s tally of boundaries, scoring only 8 fours compared to India’s 13. It’s a glaring example of their inability to adapt and find ways to score in challenging conditions. This match serves as a stark reminder that regardless of the surface, intent in this format remains irreplaceable.

But we can still make it to the Super 8s, right? Not really. The weather forecast for Lauderhill on the 14th doesn’t look promising, with a 98% chance of rain throughout the day. This means there’s a high chance of a washout, resulting in shared points between the USA and Ireland.

This would take the USA’s tally to 5 points, and the maximum Pakistan could reach is 4. Realistically speaking, Pakistan has been knocked out of the group stages of a T20 World Cup despite being in a group with India and three associate teams. A team specifically chosen for Caribbean conditions won’t even get to play a single game in the Caribbean round, ironic but perhaps a fitting end to this era.

The performance of this team can be dissected and criticised all day long, but it’s not just about the coaching staff, tactics, or the captain. It’s the pervasive losing culture, celebrated by everyone from the media to the fans to the board. A culture that breeds more losers. It is time for accountability and a serious overhaul but knowing Pakistan, everyone will be celebrating a Babar Azam century against Sri Lanka in Multan in a few weeks.