Following Pakistan's 6-run defeat against arch-rivals India in the T20 World Cup 2024 at New York, the team has been under immense pressure and criticisms from fans and experts alike.
Pakistan suffered back-to-back defeats to the start the tournament, which has put them in a very difficult position to qualify for the Super Eight phase.
Former Pakistan cricketer Ahmed Shehzad lashed out at the current crop of cricketers including captain Babar Azam, accusing them of spreading lies on social media using paid PR campaigns.
BET NOW: Exclusive sign-up offers and bonuses when you bet on T20 World Cup action
Why did Ahmed Shehzad accuse Babar Azam of spreading lies on social media?
The former opening batter Ahmed Shehzad was speaking on a Pakistan news channel following the national team's defeat to arch-rivals India on Sunday, June 9.
He accused the current crop of Pakistan cricketers of spending money on social media campaigns to spread lies to gain sympathy from the public, after performing poorly on the field.
"They have made strategies when they perform poorly. When the team loses, they do [PR] campaigns and spread lies on social media saying Babar looks very sad, Shadab has not eaten for 4 days, someone did not go shopping etc... All these are drama, and they are making a fool of us through these [PR] agencies. They do this just for sympathies," Shehzad said.
Shehzad further went on to say that the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has spent money on them and improved their financial status to become better cricketers, but the officials are instead targeted through social media campaigns. He called the actions of PR agencies hired by the players, to be "unprofessional".
"Pakistan cricket spent money on them to evolve as a cricketer and I accept that the PCB chairman may have taken decisions which turned out to be wrong, but the way these players are reacting by targeting them through social media campaigns, is very unprofessional."
Many Pakistani cricketers were in depression, and they didn't have dinner last night. However, BOBY, AZHAR, and WAHAB went out for a DAWAT just one hour after the defeat against 🇮🇳. 🤦🏻🤦🏻🤦🏻🤦🏻
— Shoaib Jatt (@Shoaib_Jatt) June 10, 2024
یہ تھا ان کا درد جو دعوت میں اڑایا گیا pic.twitter.com/J1UQG7kYTa
Can Pakistan qualify for Super Eights after defeat against India?
The loss against India has considerably reduced Pakistan's chances of qualifying for the knockouts. With USA winning their first two matches of the tournament, including the one against Pakistan, they could progress, along with India, from Group A.
READ: How can Pakistan qualify for Super 8s?
Pakistan are currently fourth in the five-team group. Only the top two will qualify for the Super Eights.
Group A standings
| Rank | Team | W | L | T/NR | NRR | Pts. |
| 1 | India | 2 | 0 | 0 | +1.455 | 4 |
| 2 | USA | 2 | 0 | 0 | +0.626 | 4 |
| 3 | Canada | 1 | 1 | 0 | -0.274 | 2 |
| 4 | Pakistan | 0 | 2 | 0 | -0.150 | 0 |
| 5 | Ireland | 0 | 2 | 0 | -1.712 | 0 |
Pakistan will next play Canada at New York, on June 11, followed by the game against Ireland at Lauderhill, Florida, on June 16, for their final game of the group stage.
If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. Learn more >