The team faced defeats against rival India and a resurgent Australia, eliciting substantial criticism from fans and former cricketers who questioned Babar Azam's leadership abilities.
CHENNAI: (UrduPoint/Pakistan Point News-Oct 23rd, 2023) Following consecutive losses, Pakistan is determined to reinvigorate its World Cup 2023 campaign when they face Afghanistan today at the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.
The team faced defeats against rival India and a resurgent Australia, eliciting substantial criticism from fans and former cricketers who questioned Babar Azam's leadership abilities.
Pakistan holds fond memories of the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium, particularly in 1997 when the dynamic left-handed opener, Saeed Anwar, delivered a remarkable performance, scoring 194 against India.
At that time, it was the highest individual ODI score, and Anwar's brilliance led Pakistan to a 35-run victory over the Men in Blue.
Pakistan upheld their undefeated streak at the stadium with a six-wicket triumph over India in 2012.
"We have a remarkable history at this venue, and I'm confident that it will serve as motivation," said opener Imam-ul-Haq during a press briefing ahead of the upcoming clash.
Haq was just two years old when Anwar showcased his remarkable performance against the Indian team, which included iconic players like Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid in 1997.
"Even though I have no personal recollection of Saeed Anwar's record, it's still a motivating factor."
Pakistan began the World Cup with victories against the Netherlands and Sri Lanka but then faced back-to-back losses.
They have now fallen to fifth place in the 10-nation table, with the top four teams advancing to the semi-finals.
"We must acknowledge that we didn't perform well in those matches," stated Haq on Sunday.
"We fell short of expectations, couldn't execute our plans correctly, and losses always dampen morale."
Haq scored 36 against India in Ahmedabad, but Pakistan's innings crumbled from 155-2 to 191 all out, resulting in a seven-wicket loss.
The 27-year-old then managed to score 70 against Australia in a challenging chase of a 368-run target in Bengaluru, where Pakistan suffered a 62-run defeat.
"We let go of crucial catches, and that proved costly," Haq admitted.
David Warner was at 10 runs when he was dropped by Usama Mir off Shaheen Shah Afridi, and he went on to amass 163 runs, forming a record Australian World Cup opening partnership of 259 runs with Mitchell Marsh, who scored 121.
"We plan to bring something new to the table tomorrow. Our goal is to proceed to Kolkata with four wins in six games," said Haq, whose team is set to face South Africa in Chennai on Friday.
Haq downplayed the threat posed by Afghanistan's spin trio, Rashid Khan, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, and Mohammad Nabi, in a venue renowned for favoring spin bowlers.
"We all recognize that Afghanistan is a formidable team, especially in these conditions. Nevertheless, we are well-prepared and committed to executing our strategies."
"We are aware that this ground is favorable to spinners, and they possess high-quality spin bowlers. However, we recently defeated them 3-0 in a one-day series in Sri Lanka under similar conditions," he added.
