Pakistan will face the USA in a Group A match of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 on Thursday, in Dallas. This will mark the start of Pakistan’s campaign in the ninth edition of the tournament, amid concerns about their form and team combination. In contrast, the USA enters the match with high confidence, having convincingly defeated Canada in the tournament’s opening game on June 2 at the same venue.
Pakistan need to be wary of the USA side, largely because they are slow starters themselves, and second, the men-in-green has a history of succumbing to lower ranked teams at the ICC events.
Talking only about the ICC events, Pakistan lost in 1999 to Bangladesh. Also who could forget their loss at the 2007 T20 World Cup to Namibia. Recently, Pakistan also lost to Afghanistan at the 2023 ICC Men’s ODI World Cup in India. They are poor starters, and Pakistan knows it better than anyone else.
This makes the USA a strong contender, though Pakistan still go in as favourites. Let’s take a look at some reasons, as to why the USA can upset Pakistan.
1. Out of form Pakistan batting line-up
Pakistan is entering the T20 World Cup after a rough patch. They already lost 2-0 against England in a four-match series in May and also lost the first match against Ireland before winning the series 2-1. Their main worry is their batting, which has been struggling. If their batting problems continue in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024, it will be hard for them to make it to the top 4.
Pakistan’s top order has been struggling, with Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan failing to provide strong starts. The middle order is also unclear, leaving players unsure about their roles and positions to bat. Apart from Fakhar Zaman and Iftikhar Ahmed, the rest of the batting lineup plays at a strike rate of 120 to 125, which is not very impressive.
2. USA’s recent form – coming off a win against Canada, defeated Bangladesh in Bangladesh
The co-hosts, USA, have been making a big impact in the tournament. They kicked off by beating Canada in the opener, with Aaron Jones scoring a powerful unbeaten 94 to secure a seven-wicket win in Texas. The USA’s fantastic form began when Bangladesh toured them, where the USA won 2-0 in front of their home crowd in Texas. They played positively, showing their intent and demonstrating how small the margins can be in T20 cricket.
3. The local support
With the eye-catching performances they have produced in recent times, the USA Cricket team is having strong local backing in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024. The local crowd support is giving the players extra motivation and confidence, helping them perform well on the field.
With the USA Cricket team having found a winning formula by playing bold and aggressive cricket, the upcoming contest looks daunting for Pakistan, considering their recent performance. Pakistan’s lack of intent and non-aggressive approach contrasts sharply with the USA’s confident and dynamic style. Despite being an associate nation, the USA appears to have the upper hand as they face Pakistan in the upcoming ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 fixture.
The Sportz Planet Desk,
Atharva Shetye
