CHENNAI: Pakistan captain Babar Azam rued his team’s failure to put pressure on Afghanistan with spin in Monday’s eight-wicket loss at the World Cup.
Pakistani spinners took no wickets in Chennai as their combined 21 overs conceded 6.23 runs an over. Afghanistan chased down the target of 283 with eight wickets to spare.
Spinners have taken only one wicket for Pakistan in their last three matches, all of which the 1992 champions lost as they fell to fifth place.
“In the middle overs, the spinners didn’t bowl as they should have. They didn’t put pressure on (the opponents),” a dejected Babar told reporters.
“When we came here, I saw that the margin of error is very low for bowlers. If you bowl a little bit away from the wicket, you will get hit on that ball. So, we are lacking there a little bit.”
In contrast, Afghan spinners bowled a combined 38 overs and picked up four crucial wickets at an economy rate of 4.63; one of the highest uses of spin by any team in World Cup history.
Afghanistan coach Jonathan Trott said the pitch conditions favored spinners.
“I think when you’ve got the options like we do it’s foolish not to use them, certainly when looking at that pitch today,” he said.
Trott particularly praised 18-year-old Noor Ahmad who took three major wickets in his World Cup debut, giving away just 49 runs in his 10 overs.
“As soon as he got that length right, he spins the ball so much,” the coach said. “When he’s practicing, you hear that ball fizzing.”
Afghan spinners also played a key role in their shock 69-run win over defending champions England earlier in the tournament, taking eight wickets with Mujeeb Ur Rahman and Rashid Khan claiming three each.
The two wins helped propel the Afghans from bottom of the table to sixth place.
A turnaround was still possible for Pakistan, Babar said.
“You never know. It’s cricket. Anything can happen. We will try to play our best cricket till the end,” he added. “We will try to overcome our mistakes.”
Pakistan will stay in Chennai to face South Africa on Friday, while Afghanistan play Sri Lanka in Pune on Sunday.
Babar Azam has no positive spin on Pakistan loss to Afghans
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Babar Azam has no positive spin on Pakistan loss to Afghans
- The Pakistani skipper says the margin of error is very low for bowlers at the ICC World Cup 2023
- Azam vows to play ‘our best cricket till the end’ ahead of crucial match with South Africa on Friday
Pakistan kills 11 militants in separate operations in western provinces
- Military says five Baloch separatist fighters were killed in an intelligence-based operation in Kohlu district
- Police say six Pakistani Taliban died in Lakki Marwat during a joint operation after drone attacks on homes
ISLAMABAD/PESHAWAR: Pakistani security forces and police killed at least 11 militants in separate counterterrorism operations in the country’s western provinces of Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, authorities said on Friday, highlighting the distinct insurgencies confronting the country along its border with Afghanistan.
In southwestern Balochistan, the military said it killed separatist militants in an intelligence-based operation in Kohlu District on Dec. 25, while police in the northwestern district of Lakki Marwat fought and killed the Pakistani Taliban.
Pakistan’s military said the Balochistan operation targeted fighters it identified as part of “Fitna al Hindustan,” a term authorities use for Baloch separatist outfits, including the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), which have waged a decades-long insurgency in the resource-rich province.
“During the conduct of operation, own forces effectively engaged the terrorists’ location, and after an intense fire exchange, five Indian sponsored terrorists were sent to hell,” the military’s media wing, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), said in a statement, adding that weapons and explosives were recovered and follow-up clearance operations were underway.
In Lakki Marwat, police said counterterrorism units and local peace committees launched a coordinated operation against militants they described as “khwarij,” a term the Pakistani state uses for factions aligned with the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), an umbrella group of militants that primarily operates in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
According to police, six militants were killed and several others wounded during the operation, after authorities said militants had used drone-mounted devices to target residential homes, injuring civilians.
“Protection of life and property of the public is the police’s top priority, and strict, indiscriminate action against khwarij and other anti-peace elements will continue,” Bannu Region Deputy Inspector General Sajjad Khan said in a statement released by the regional police office.
The two operations highlight Pakistan’s parallel security challenges in its western regions.
In Balochistan, separatist groups accuse the federal government and military of marginalizing ethnic Baloch communities and denying them a fair share of the province’s mineral wealth, allegations Islamabad denies.
In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the TTP has intensified attacks on security forces and civilians since the Afghan Taliban’s return to power in Kabul in 2021.
Pakistan has repeatedly said these militant groups operating in both provinces receive backing from India and find shelter in Afghanistan, claims denied by New Delhi and Kabul.
Pakistani authorities said counterterrorism operations will continue nationwide under a campaign approved by the federal government to curb militancy and restore security.
