NEW DELHI: Babar Azam and his team are under heavy criticism following their elimination from the T20 World Cup. The 2009 champions were ousted as the USA advanced to the Super Eights stage after their match against Ireland was abandoned in Lauderhill.
The USA, making their debut in the T20 World Cup, reached the last eight primarily due to their shocking Super Over victory against Pakistan. A defeat for the USA against Ireland would have given Pakistan a chance to re-enter the top two with a win against Ireland on Sunday. However, the abandonment sealed Pakistan’s fate, resulting in their earliest exit from the T20 World Cup.
Having played three games with a loss to India and a single victory against Canada, Pakistan’s elimination at this stage is unprecedented. Previously, Pakistan reached the final four in almost every tournament except for early exits in 2014 and 2016.
Former Pakistan cricketer Ahmad Shahzad expressed his disappointment on social media. Shahzad posted on X (formerly Twitter), “The deserving team is through to the Super 8 round. If you’re depending on Ireland to defeat someone, you seriously don’t deserve to qualify. Don’t think even ‘Kudrat Ka Nizam’ works for those who are not deserving or ready to improve. All eyes on PCB chairman now! #T20WorldCup.”
The 17th-ranked US joins West Indies, India, Australia, South Africa, and Afghanistan in the Super Eights, with two more teams yet to qualify. The USA’s qualification marks the seventh instance of an associate team progressing from the group stage to the Super stage in T20 World Cups, following Ireland (2009), Netherlands (2014), Afghanistan (2016), Namibia (2021), Scotland (2021), and the Netherlands (2022).
The Super Eights, starting on Wednesday, will split into two groups, with each team guaranteed three games to vie for a spot in the semifinals.
