What more could Sahibzada Farhan have done?

Cricket is a team game. No single player can win a World Cup on his own. Everyone has to play their role. An individual may pile up runs, but if teammates fail to contribute, the result is what happened with Pakistan. In the T20 World Cup, Sahibzada Farhan scored the most runs (383). He also made the most centuries (two) and ranked second among the batters with the most sixes (18). Yet the team couldn’t even reach the semi-finals. Poor Sahibzada Farhan is not to blame. He did everything he possibly could, but he is not Superman who can achieve the impossible alone.

Interestingly and embarrassingly Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha, Babar Azam, and Usman Khan together scored only 281 runs in the entire event 102 fewer than Sahibzada alone. Saim, from whom we expected heaps of runs, managed just 70 in six matches. Salman, playing at number three, scored only 60 runs in seven matches. Babar Azam, from whom centuries were expected, failed to even reach a combined 100 runs in six matches, finishing with 91. Usman Khan, from whom sixes were anticipated, scored just 60 in seven matches.

Now tell me honestly could such batting performances win a World Cup? What more could Sahibzada have done alone?

Don’t take it the wrong way, but fans have played a big role in spoiling Saim’s mindset. When someone starts believing they are bigger than the game, this is what happens. He was a decent player, but once his fan following grew and people praised his “no-look shot” excessively, he was elevated beyond reason. Now look at the result. In 67 T20 matches, he has scored only six fifties, with an average of 21. Few players are as fortunate as he is to receive so many opportunities despite repeated failures. In his last 30 matches, he has scored 579 runs at an average of 19, including two half-centuries. He has been dismissed for zero six times and had three consecutive innings without scoring. Fans like him because he looks good and plays flashy shots. If you want a hero like that, choose a film star spare cricket. Yes, he occasionally picks up wickets, but his primary job is batting.

Similarly, Salman Ali Agha secured the number three position in the World Cup thanks to captaincy influence. But did you know that in the Asia Cup and World Cup combined, his highest score was just 38? Across 13 innings, he scored 132 runs at an average of 11. Cricket does not have the concept of a non-playing captain like tennis. If the captain himself doesn’t perform, how can he lead the team to victory? I know Aaqib Javed played a key role in giving him responsibility. He is a decent and obedient person who does what he is told perhaps that is why he was made captain. The results are in front of us.

In the World Cup, the real captain seemed to be Mike Hesson, who was frequently seen going onto the field to give instructions. This is not exaggeration it’s reality. Because of Islamabad United, there is a close friendship between Shadab Khan and Hesson, and they benefit from it. At times, Shadab appeared to be an unofficial captain on the field.

As far as T20 cricket is concerned, Babar Azam’s time seems over. He should voluntarily retire from this format and focus on Tests and ODIs. Great expectations were placed on him in the World Cup, but he disappointed badly. He looked misfit in this team. To accommodate him, an aggressive batter like Fakhar Zaman had to sit out. When this mistake was realized and Fakhar opened with Sahibzada, the world was stunned. If only this had happened earlier.

Usman Khan’s “favor” of leaving UAE cricket to join Pakistan seems to be repaid endlessly. His wicketkeeping was fine, but he failed with the bat. In modern cricket, a wicketkeeper must also be a batter.

In bowling, Shaheen Shah Afridi struggled in all but one match. Naseem Shah’s “stomach issues” often appeared before important games; when he played the final match, he made little impact. Salman Mirza proved to be an average pacer. Hesson appears to treat the Pakistan team like Islamabad United, filling it with so-called all-rounders. In Pakistan nowadays, an all-rounder is someone who neither scores runs nor takes wickets. Look at Shadab Khan neither significant runs nor wickets, and he conceded runs generously at crucial moments. Faheem Ashraf did win the match against the Netherlands with his batting, but the team management does not trust him as a bowler. Usman Tariq bowled well except in the last match but was not utilized properly. Abrar Ahmed was also not used effectively. The “great all-rounder” Mohammad Nawaz scored just 15 runs in seven matches and was ineffective with the ball as well.

If you remove Sahibzada Farhan from this team, the standard would resemble that of UAE or Namibia. Like every World Cup, this one also ended in disappointment. The PCB must do more than just talk about “surgery.” More than half the players do not deserve their place. Non-performers no matter how big their names must be dropped. Bring in domestic performers like Sahibzada and give opportunities to young players who can settle and deliver consistent performances.

Senior cricketers consider playing domestic cricket beneath them. Babar, for example, has perhaps not played in the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy for six or seven years. Players must be required to participate. India recently selected Kohli and Rohit Sharma only after they played domestic matches. Pakistani players who refuse should be kept away from the national team, and they should not be granted NOCs for leagues either.

Aqib Javed, Aleem Dar, Asad Shafiq, and anyone else involved in the selection process should also be sent home. The captain should be appointed after a formal interview process. Hesson must also be held accountable.

If nothing changes now, the day is not far when cricket’s condition will resemble that of hockey.