With all the frenzy and media hype around the India-Pakistan game at the T20 World Cup, one would think that the ‘mother of all rivalries’ would actually be a close one. The way TV channels went to town over the clash between the neighbours at Nassau County in New York, it felt as if cricket’s breakthrough in the United States was dependent on just this game, regardless of what the home team achieves in the tournament. In reality, the match was a one-off event relying more on history and the volatile bilateral ties between the two countries for its intensity and appeal.

As far as the cricketing side goes, Pakistan has beaten India once in all World Cup cricket – over 50 overs and 20 – as has Bangladesh. Sri Lanka has had much more success against their Big Brothers on the biggest stage. It’s time to stop branding India-Pakistan as the biggest rivalry in cricket; they may be arch rivals, but not at par, judging by history in the 21st century. Australia, England, South Africa, and even New Zealand are more likely to test India thoroughly in all aspects of the game.

Gone are the days when the sight of Imran Khan, Wasim Akram, or Javed Miandad used to fill Indian supporters with dread as they could seemingly swing a game according to their fancy, more often than not, against India. But the balance of power has shifted inexorably since they left the scene. India are not only stronger in personnel now, but also in mind, willing and able to seize the big moments, as was evident in their latest meeting.

It was a rare instance when Pakistan had worked themselves into a more than decent position against India, only to implode characteristically at the first sight of crisis. The hack Mohammad Rizwan attempted against Jasprit Bumrah, after being in no hurry to chase down the 120-run target, has been singled out for Pakistan’s demise in that game and their eventual early ouster from the tournament, pipped by the part-timers representing the co-hosts.

But that shot was no more than a symptom of the nerves and lack of composure under pressure that Pakistan have displayed in recent times. Sometimes, talent masks these frailties, but the current lot isn’t rich in that resource either.

Faltering under pressure

In their tournament opener, they were second-best for a lot of the game against the USA, who almost let it slip despite having the chase under control well past the halfway mark and needed a last-ball boundary to push the contest into a Super Over.

There, someone of Mohammad Amir’s class and experience couldn’t get his bearings and bowled multiple wides, which coupled with shoddy fielding and nonsensical over-throws, took the USA to a score that proved beyond Pakistan.

In the game against India, the clueless nature of the Pakistan middle and lower order was in sharp contrast to the vital runs added by the Indian tail that eventually won them the game. Even in the win over Canada, their lack of confidence was all too evident as they pottered around with the bat, in pursuit of a modest total, when improving their net run rate was the need of the hour.

The problem lies in the batting. Though Pakistan has had decent or better bowlers throughout their history – though the lack of a quality spinner in the current squad is galling – they have not had genuine world-beating batsmen since the days of Younis Khan and Mohammad Yousuf and Inzamam-ul-Haq before them; batsmen who could read situations, move up and down gears, having the ability to finish innings and games when the game was in the balance.

With proper batsmanship – which can thrive in all conditions and formats – on the decline in the country, it’s players like Shahid Afridi – nothing more than a big hitter, though not a particularly consistent one – who have become idols as far as batting is concerned. Their only USP is hitting sixes, and once the red mist takes over, they can’t resist it or temper their obsession and take the match situation into consideration.

In the Indian context, Hardik Pandya could be considered a parallel study at the moment, but he too won’t be deified like Virat Kohli or Rohit Sharma, bonafide batting royalty.

But the current Pakistan lot doesn’t even have someone of Afridi’s calibre. Iftikhar Ahmed is no spring chicken but has hardly done much to make a name for himself on the biggest stage against quality opposition or when conditions are not entirely helpful for hitting the ball out of the ground, while Azam Khan hasn’t translated his Pakistan Super League heroics at the international level, and is more ridiculed than assessed. Shadab Khan’s all-rounder status has turned into an all-round disappointment.

Time to act is now

If history is anything to go by, there will be the usual round of recrimination, allegations of infighting, bad blood, and administrative and coaching instability once the team returns home. But truth be told, even if the group-stage ouster is a bit of a surprise, they weren’t expected to go very far in the competition. They may bemoan the weather in Florida, but they didn’t help themselves in Texas and New York. It wasn’t the first time they had to depend on India to stay alive in the competition for a day or two more.

Babar Azam has got a long rope as captain, but though he may come across as an uninspiring captain, he hasn’t been helped by the cards at his disposal. And he has some way to go yet to be spoken of in the same breath as Kohli, as far as batting is concerned. His partnership with Rizwan at the top of the order has been steady at best, but any attempt to push the pace leaves the modest middle order exposed.

There may be a change in captaincy, but that’s unlikely to result in a change in fortunes. If Pakistan can learn anything from the downfall of West Indies cricket, it’s that clinging to the past is good only for nostalgia. One needs pragmatism to tide over a contemporary slump.

Pakistan didn’t leave out any readymade talents that may have helped their chances in the US. The country will host the next big ICC event, the Champions Trophy in early 2025, and they need a quick turnaround in their 50-over form as well. The next T20 World Cup is in 2026 in India and Sri Lanka, so corrective measures need to be taken now.

The terms ‘maverick’, ‘mercurial’, ‘unpredictable’, and ‘qudrat ka nizam’ can’t be used to hide basic structural, coaching, and mindset flaws forever.