World Cup 2023: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Thursday issued a statement to urge the cricket fraternity to back the Babar Azam-led team playing in the World Cup 2023. The Pakistan team is facing severe backlash from fans and cricket pundits for their struggling run in the marquee tournament in India. The Men in Green have won just two matches out of the five played and have gone down to even Afghanistan.
The Pakistan Board issued a statement and hoped the team would make a comeback in the tournament. "The PCB acknowledges the emotions and sentiments of cricket fans following the three consecutive defeats faced by the national team in the ICC World Cup 2023. In this challenging environment, the board administration hopes that the cricketing fraternity and fans will continue to support captain Babar Azam and the entire Pakistan cricket team," PCB said in a statement.
"The national team still has four crucial matches remaining in the round-robin stage, and the PCB is optimistic that the team will regroup, overcome the setbacks and perform positively and effectively in the upcoming fixtures," it added.
Notably, fans and former cricketers have lashed out at the Pakistan team for their poor show in the first half of the World Cup. Former cricketers including Basat Ali, Shoaib Malik and Aaqib Javed have called for Babar to step down as the team's captain. However, PCB is seeking support from the fans on backing Babar.
"Addressing the media scrutiny directed at captain Babar Azam and the team management, the board's stance, echoing that of former cricketers, is that successes and defeats are part of the game. Captain Babar Azam and Chief Selector Inzamam-ul-Haq were given freedom and support in forming the squad for the ICC World Cup 2023.
Looking ahead, the board will make decisions in the best interest of Pakistan cricket based on the team's performances in the World Cup. At present, the PCB encourages fans, former players and stakeholders to rally behind the team as they strive to make a triumphant comeback in the mega-event," the statement concluded.
