“Pakistan need support and they still can turn things around,” says Sunil Gavaskar
Sunil Gavaskar, an Indian icon, has advised Pakistan’s cricket squad, led by Babar Azam, on making a return in the T20 World Cup in 2022.
Pakistan has lost two games in a row in the current World Cup. They were defeated by India by four wickets and then shocked by Zimbabwe in the following match. They have three matches to play and must win all of them. They will still need additional outcomes to qualify.
The Pakistan squad’s captaincy, middle-order performance, fitness of specific players, and team selection have all been called into question.
Gavaskar was questioned if the failure was due to Pakistan failing to establish early momentum in the tournament following their loss to India, as had occurred to the Men in Blue in the 2021 T20 World Cup in the UAE.
“Kabhi kabhi waise demoralising hota hai. Aap apne aap ko lift nehi kar sakte. Lift karne kiliye apke jo management hai woh waise chaiye jo aapko bol sake ki haa ho gaya but aapke paas woh qabiliyat hai. Yehi pe, do saal pehle, India Adelaide main 36 all-out ho gayi thi. Kohli wapas chale gaye the. Ajinkya Rahane captain the. Jis tarike se Ravi Shastri, Bharat Arun, Ajinkya Rahane, Vikram Rathour, Sridhar, unhone team ko samhala aur confidence diya. Aur maine dekha hai ki jab Kohli nehi rehta hai toh baki ke players sochte hai ki kaise uske jaga ko compensate karein. Waisa agar Pakistan ke paas hota, waisa support staff jo team ko bol sakta hai ki chalo…abhi bhi ho sakta hai,” Gavaskar stated.
“Sometimes it can be demoralising. But to lift yourself up you sometimes need a management who can tell you to forget about the defeat because you have that ability. Two years back in Australia, India were folded for 36 in a Test match in Adelaide. Virat Kohli had returned home after that game. But the way the team was handled by Ravi Shastri, Bharat Arun, Ajinkya Rahane, Vikram Rathour, Sridhar, who instilled that belief. Pakistan need that kind of support and they still can turn things around,” he explained.
“Sometimes it can be demoralising. But to lift yourself up you sometimes need a management who can tell you to forget about the defeat because you have that ability. Two years back in Australia, India were folded for 36 in a Test match in Adelaide. Virat Kohli had returned home after that game. But the way the team was handled by Ravi Shastri, Bharat Arun, Ajinkya Rahane, Vikram Rathour, Sridhar, who instilled that belief. Pakistan need that kind of support and they still can turn things around,” he explained.
Gavaskar emphasised the significance of the team’s elders and support personnel in restoring the mood in the locker room following demoralising outcomes. The renowned batsman described how players like Ravi Shastri, Bharat Arun, Ajinkya Rahane, and others motivated Indian players after the team was bowled out for 36 runs in the first innings of the Adelaide Test a few years ago.
After losing their first two matches, Pakistan must defeat the Netherlands at all costs if they are to advance to the semi-finals.
