Pakistan's T20 World Cup Hopes Crushed by Rain, Vaughan Questions Team's Swagger

Pakistan's hopes of qualifying for the T20 World Cup 2024 Super 8 were dashed after the match between USA and Ireland was abandoned due to rain on Sunday. India and USA emerged as the two teams to advance from Group A.

Pakistan's path to the Super 8 became arduous after defeats to USA and India. The team's performance has drawn widespread criticism, with former England captain Michael Vaughan expressing concerns about their lack of "swagger."

"They can't blame the weather. They should have beaten US and India. If they did, they would have been through to the Super 8s," Vaughan said. "I just don't see Pakistan at the moment as a great white-ball team."

Vaughan questioned the quality of Pakistan's T20 players, suggesting that captain Babar Azam may not be a guaranteed starter in the T20 teams of top nations like India and England.

"I don't think they have the skill set of what I've seen in the past from Pakistan cricket in T20 cricket," Vaughan said. "I honestly don't think they've got many great T20 players."

Vaughan also highlighted Pakistan's mental fragility against India, noting their inability to chase down targets against their arch-rivals.

"Mentally, they have no clue how to beat India. That's true. I could see it in the chase. They should have absolutely strolled that game," Vaughan said. "There's only one winner because India knows how to win, and they have the mentality to get over the line. For whatever reason, Pakistan just doesn't seem to have that kind of swagger."

Pakistan's failure to qualify for the Super 8 has raised questions about the team's direction and the leadership of Babar Azam. The team will need to regroup and address these concerns if they are to regain their status as one of the top T20 nations in the world.

Tags: #PakistanCricket, #T20WorldCup, #MichaelVaughan, #TeamCriticism, #BabarAzam