The Sri Lankan team has landed in Colombo with the Asia Cup trophy to a rousing public welcome. The Sri Lankan team deserved the victory the way it exhibited teamwork against Pakistan and outclassed them in every department in the final and the pre-final match.
Now is the time for Pakistan to reflect on its work and conduct during the Asia Cup cricket matches and finals. The final match lacked thrill for the Pakistani fans and the team failed in bowling, batting and fielding and, in a way, they presented the Asia Cup trophy to Sri Lanka in a plate. It was a sort of walkover for the young Sri Lankan team, which has now won the Asia Cup for the sixth time. The Sri Lankan team lost their first match against Afghanistan on the same ground, but with time, they overcame their drawbacks and eventually returned as champions. However, it is an undisputed fact that cricket is a game of coincidences and winning and losing is a part of every game, so there is no reason to be disappointed when the national team did not win the final of the Asia Cup. The disappointment, however, underscores the need to take remedial measures. The team should work on batting order and player selection as these two factors caused defeat to Pakistan and these areas should not be ignored. Commentators have criticized bad fielding, especially vice-captain Shadab Khan, who dropped two catches on Sri Lanka’s top scorer Bhanuka Rajapaksa. Captain Babar Azam was also out of form and now he has accepted the responsibility for the defeat which is a commendable display of a sense of responsibility. It is a fact that Pakistan has the best talent; if all fields of the game are played well, things can be better in the coming T20 World Cup. Weaknesses can be overcome if continuous efforts are made to improve the quality of batting and fielding, and focus is made on a more judicious selection of players for the national team. The board should take timely decisions based on the performance of players.
