Starting Asia Cup as the number one-ranked team in One-Day Internationals (ODIs) and leaving the tournament placed at the bottom of the points table — if there is one team in the world capable of such sheer imprudence without raising a few eyebrows, it is Pakistan.

Team Green entered the 19-day event as favourites but pulled a classic Pakistan in the end, keeping Babar Azam XI’s yearning for a trophy alive.

The all-format captain is again trudging through the swamp of criticism following Pakistan’s disappointing exit from the Asia Cup. While the list of what went wrong is long, it is Babar’s captaincy under public scrutiny again. From field placements to his over-reliance on the pace trio, the 28-year-old’s on-field predictability in decision-making has led to him earning the ‘orthodox captain’ title.

Pakistan’s lack of a quality spinner and a bowling all-rounder also exposed its mediocrity in the middle overs, giving both India and Sri Lanka ample room to settle well when they were batting during the Super Four games.

Babar’s aversion to experiment with the team in the bilateral series against Afghanistan right before the tournament may have helped his team secure the number one spot in the International Cricket Council’s ODI rankings, but playing his best XI against lowly ranked Afghanistan came at a heavy cost.

Pakistan pulls ‘a Pakistan’ in an Asia Cup nightmare

This year’s Asia Cup was a nightmare that will haunt Pakistan for years to come. Falling victim to off-field politics of the Indian cricket board, by partially losing the hosting rights before the tournament even began, was the first of the team’s many woes.

Pakistan was awarded the right to host the entire Asia Cup by the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) in 2021. However, following India’s refusal to tour the country, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) had to eventually settle for a hybrid model.

Of the 13 matches played in the tournament, Pakistan hosted only four: three in Lahore and one in Multan. While the crumbs may have satisfied the cricketing board’s ego, the unnecessary extra travel back and forth between the two countries for sure added to the players’ fatigue.

While it was given that Pakistan would have to compromise on the home advantage, hardly anyone assumed that Team Green would fail to register even a single victory on Sri Lankan soil. In the five matches it played during the Cup, Pakistan could only manage two wins, both on home turf, while they lost two in Colombo, and one ended with no result due to rain.

Clouds sought dominance over the Sri Lankan sky throughout the tournament, adding gloominess not only into the atmosphere in Pallekele and Colombo, but also into the hearts of thousands of fans glued to their TV screens waiting for some action.

Firstly, rain washed away the hype of the most awaited game of the regional tournament — India vs Pakistan. After restricting India to 266, the showers at Pallekele International Cricket Stadium did not allow the Pakistani batsmen to take the field, resulting in both teams securing a point each.

Frustrating as it was at that moment for fans, players and team officials, who were all confident of Pakistan’s victory, the same lot sought the rain at the R. Premadasa Stadium a week later, as the green-shirted boys struggled chasing the mammoth 356 total against their arch-rivals.

Despite Pakistan starting its campaign well with two comfortable victories against Nepal and Bangladesh, it was that game against India that shook the team’s confidence. After the first day of the second game against India was interrupted by rain, the team looked dispirited when the game continued on the reserve day.

The bowlers were clearly expecting a washout, given the weather forecast, and did not put in an effort, resulting in Virat Kohli and KL Rahul registering a record 236-run partnership, the highest ever for any wicket in the history of the Asia Cup.

The Indian duo’s onslaught not only petrified the Men in Green but also seemed to have scared away the rain, contrary to early predictions of a no-result or a reduced game. The Pakistani batsmen this time took the field but, instead of rain showers, it was Kuldeep Yadav’s left-arm spin that showed them their way back to the pavilion.

In the one-sided encounter, Pakistan could only manage to put 128 on the board, letting India secure its biggest victory ever against the rival team in the white-ball format. Ironic, isn’t it, that it was the PCB that had pushed for that reserve day, which came back to bite it later.

The horrors of the humiliating defeat continued to haunt Pakistan for the remainder of the tournament, as the team lost two of its main pacers — Naseem Shah and Haris Rauf — to injury.

Shah faced a shoulder injury during the final overs against India, while Rauf did not bowl on the reserve day, citing discomfort in his right flank. The fast-bowling duo were ruled out from the next game against Sri Lanka that decided which team would play the final.

A close contest between the hosts-on-paper and hosts-on-ground resulted in heartbreak for the former. Debutant Zaman Khan, who was playing in place of Shah, tried his best to defend the eight runs in the final over and keep up his domestic reputation as a death-overs specialist, but fate had something else planned.

Charith Asalanka successfully scored six of the final two balls, cementing his team a spot in the big clash against India on Sunday. Sri Lanka had once again played spoilsport and shattered the dream of a Pakistan-India final. That the final turned out to be a humiliatingly one-sided affair in favour of India, only added salt to Pakistan’s wounds.

Of the 16 editions of the Asia Cup, Sri Lanka have made it to the final 12 times. Despite the daunting cricket rivalry, the two giant South Asian sides have never faced each other in an Asia Cup final.

Pakistan, however, doesn’t have to wait too long to get a chance at revenge. The team will lock horns against India again on October 14 in Ahmedabad, during the ICC Cricket World Cup. With Shah’s likely absence and other gaps in the team, it will be interesting to see the changes Team Green will make going into the marquee championship.

The writer is a sports journalist and a Fulbright scholar. X: @Brashnaa

Published in Dawn, EOS, September 24th, 2023