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Stunned by the USA and bruised by India, Pakistan enters their penultimate group stage match against Canada with a sense of shock and uncertainty. With little to gain and everything to lose, Pakistan faces a crucial test in the T20 World Cup encounter scheduled for Tuesday.

Following their Super Over defeat against the co-hosts in the opening Group A match, Pakistan suffered another setback with a six-run loss to arch-rivals India in a low-scoring encounter on Sunday.

Pakistan’s chances of qualifying for the Super Eight now rely heavily on securing convincing victories against Canada and Ireland, alongside the necessity for the Americans to suffer significant defeats against India and Ireland.

Even in this ideal scenario, both teams would finish with four points each, leaving the net run rate as the deciding factor. Consequently, Pakistan’s hopes rest on hoping for a miraculous turn of events. With the USA boasting a healthy run rate of 0.626 after two wins, a single victory against Ireland would likely secure their progression. Conversely, Pakistan, with a dismal net run rate of -0.150, not only needs victories but also must secure them by substantial margins.

In their two recent matches, the 2009 champions have struggled to regain their former dominance. Babar Azam’s leadership appears to lack clarity, with the team divided into factions: one led by the skipper along with his close allies Mohammed Rizwan and Shadab Khan, and the other comprising players like the recently removed Shaheen Shah Afridi, further complicating matters.

Pakistan’s performance has been lackluster across all departments in the two matches thus far. To keep their slim hopes alive, they must rally together for a more unified effort in the upcoming matches.

Although Babar and Shahdab Khan contributed with scores around 40 runs against the USA, helping Pakistan post 159 for 7, the team failed to defend the target, succumbing to defeat in the Super Over.

During the chase of a modest 120-run target, Pakistani batsmen struggled to accelerate, facing 59 dot balls and ultimately reaching only 113 for 7. Pakistan’s main worry going forward lies in the lackluster performance of their batsmen, with players like Fakhar Zaman, Imad Wasim, Shadab Khan, and Iftikhar Ahmed playing rash shots, complicating their task against India.

While Mohammed Rizwan took 44 balls to compile 31 runs, Wasim consumed 23 balls for his 15. The only positive for Pakistan on Sunday was the impressive display by their bowlers, particularly Naseem Shah and Mohammad Amir, who led the attack effectively.

However, star fast bowler Shaheen needs to shoulder more responsibility in the upcoming games to provide Pakistan with a fighting chance. He has struggled to exploit favorable conditions and needs to improve his performance to bolster Pakistan’s chances in the remaining two matches.

Moving forward, Pakistan must engage in introspection if they aim to rejuvenate their struggling campaign. In contrast, Canada currently sits third in Group A with one victory from two matches.

Following a defeat to USA by seven wickets, Canada staged a remarkable comeback by defeating Ireland by 12 runs in their subsequent match. With Navneet Dhaliwal, an experienced top-order batsman who played a significant role in Canada’s victory over Ireland in 2019, much will depend on his performance.

Canada can draw confidence from their match against the USA, where they posted a formidable total of 194 runs, albeit in a losing effort.