Babar Azam’s side has faced back-to-back losses against the USA and India in the ongoing T20 World Cup, making their upcoming match against Canada crucial for their chances of progressing to the Super Eight stage. Pakistan must win against Canada on Tuesday to remain in contention. A loss would render their final Group A game against Ireland inconsequential, effectively ending their World Cup campaign. Pakistan needs to secure a convincing victory against Canada to boost their net run rate (NRR), which will be crucial if they also win against Ireland and if other group results favor them.
Pakistan’s narrow loss to India has left fans and experts frustrated. Despite needing only 63 runs off 59 balls with eight wickets in hand at the start of the 11th over, they fell short by six runs. Former captain Wasim Akram called for significant changes in the team, criticizing underperforming players. The assistant coach, Azhar Mahmood, attributed the loss to poor shot selection and decision-making, suggesting that nerves and fear of failure played a role.
Canada, having already secured a win against Ireland, sees the match against Pakistan as an opportunity for another major upset. Aaron Johnson, a top-order batter for Canada, highlighted the unpredictable pitch in New York as a potential equalizer. Johnson emphasized their strategy of batting positively and backing it up in the field.
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The New York pitch has improved since its first match, now supporting 100-plus totals, though boundaries remain rare. Cloudy and humid weather is expected in Long Island on Tuesday, allowing for a full game without disruptions.
The only T20 meeting between Pakistan and Canada was in 2008, where Pakistan won by 35 runs. Both sides have not won many T20 matches in the recent past, but meet each other on the back of contrasting results. Pakistan’s two losses in two games have put the spotlight on their misfiring batting, while Canada’s spirits will be lifted with their win over Ireland. Pakistan’s form guide reads L L L L W, while Canada’s reads W L L L L.
To improve their chances, Pakistan may introduce young opener Saim Ayub and opt for an additional pace bowler, Abbas Afridi, potentially dropping one of their spin-bowling all-rounders. The Pakistan squad includes Babar Azam (captain), Mohammad Rizwan, Saim Ayub, Fakhar Zaman, Usman Khan, Azam Khan, Iftikhar Ahmed, Imad Wasim, Shadab Khan, Mohammad Amir, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Naseem Shah, Abbas Afridi, Haris Rauf, and Abrar Ahmed. Canada is likely to retain the same team that secured their first-ever T20 World Cup win. The Canada squad includes Navneet Dhaliwal, Aaron Johnson, Ravinderpal Singh, Kanwarpal Tathgur, Shreyas Movva, Dilon Heyliger, Dilpreet Bajwa, Harsh Thaker, Jeremy Gordon, Saad bin Zafar (captain), Junaid Siddiqui, Kaleem Sana, Nicholas Kirton, Pargat Singh, and Rayyan Khan Pathan.
The match is crucial for Pakistan, while Canada will be looking to capitalize on their recent success and the challenging pitch conditions. The outcome will determine Pakistan’s fate in the tournament and could see Canada making further strides in the World Cup.
