The Asia Cup 2023 proved to be a disappointing outing for Pakistan. Despite entering the tournament as the top-ranked ODI side and arguably the most balanced team, their campaign ended with more questions than answers.
Under the leadership of Babar Azam, Pakistan began with convincing victories against Nepal and Bangladesh but suffered their most significant defeat against India during the Super 4 stage. In a must-win match against Sri Lanka, they narrowly lost by two wickets (via DLS method) in a nail-biting encounter.
To compound their woes, Pakistan also had to contend with the loss of two key fast bowlers, Naseem Shah and Haris Rauf, due to injuries sustained during the Super 4 match against India. There are concerns that both may be unavailable for the start of the ICC World Cup 2023, commencing on October 5.
Also read: Who will replace Naseem Shah in World Cup 2023?
The challenges didn’t end there for Pakistan. Their brief reign as the No. 1 ODI team was short-lived, as Australia overtook them by winning the first two ODIs against South Africa. Pakistan’s defeat to Sri Lanka further pushed them down to the third spot, with India moving ahead in the ICC ODI rankings.