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There have been various instances when a lower-ranked nation has beaten a Test-playing nation which includes the Netherlands beating South Africa in the 2022 T20 World Cup and most recently in the ODI World Cup in Dharamshala. If we talk specifically about the T20 World Cup the chances of a lower-ranked nation upsetting a well-established cricket-playing nation with a rich history attached to it increases a lot.
The Unwanted List
It might sound odd but Pakistan has been one of the most consistent teams as far as getting thrashed by a lower-ranked side or by a depleted team of a top-ranked nation is concerned. One of the reasons for the regular thrashing is that Pakistan plays them on a regular basis.
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The Performance
If we talk about Pakistan’s record in T20I since the 2022 T20 World Cup the Babar Azam-led side has won 7 and lost 13 out of the 22 matches played so far which includes a series loss to Afghanistan in 2023 followed by a disappointing Asian Games campaign in the same year and a series loss to New Zealand away from home. As far as Pakistan’s performance in their last home series is concerned The Man in Green managed to draw the five-match series against a depleted Blackcaps side that had the likes of many third-choice players at their disposal.
Also Read: T20 Records: Teams With Most Wins In T20 World Cup
The Consistency
Having said that Pakistan has shaped fairly well in the last two editions of the T20 World Cup held in UAE and Australia respectively. The 2009 champions finished in the top four on both occasions even making it to the final against England in 2022. One of the reasons for such consistent performance by a team known for its unpredictability has been the consistency in selection with the same set of players playing in the majority of the matches and changes only being made based on the pitch and overhead conditions.
Also Read: Teams With The Most Number Of T20 World Cup Titles
The Road Ahead
Pakistan cricket has gone through a lot of turmoil since the final of the T20 World Cup 2022 starting with a change in the board’s management with as many as four chairmen taking charge since the multination tournament that took place in Australia. Another major change that Pakistan has witnessed is the change in leadership in the shortest format with Babar being removed as the captain of the T20 team at the start of 2024 and Shaheen Afridi replacing him for the away series against New Zealand who was removed after leading the team in that particular series and Babar was reappointed as the captain.
The Result
However, the move of reappointing Babar has not paid much dividend till now as the team somehow managed to draw the home series against an underpowered New Zealand side followed by a shocking defeat to Ireland in the first match of the three-match T20I series. This was Pakistan’s first defeat against Ireland in the T20 international which doesn’t auger well for them with the T20 World Cup 2024 around the corner.
