World T20 diary, Day 7: Atari-like Pakistan face reckoning

Osman Samiuddin files his diary from Mohali, where he is covering the 2016 World Twenty20 cricket tournament.

Pakistan's captain Shahid Afridi bats during a training session at the Punjab Cricket Stadium Association Stadium in Mohali on Thursday. Money Sharma / AFP / March 24, 2016

MOHALI // The day after a big Pakistan loss always has a washed feel about it. It is a cathartic time, when every wrong that has gone before it feels like it must come out.

Wednesday in Mohali was one such day. Pakistan had suffered their second defeat of the tournament the evening before, but it felt far more than just a defeat.

This felt like another confirmation of how outdated Pakistan are in the shorter formats of the game, like New Zealand were the PlayStation 4 of cricket, and Pakistan its Atari.

Pakistan had an optional training session, for which nine out of the squad of 15 turned up.

That is not a bad amount for these sessions, though it was telling who did not turn up: no Shahid Afridi, no Umar Akmal, no Shoaib Malik, no Mohammed Amir, no Mohammed Irfan. It was a light session, carried out very much in the spirit of the morning after the night before. Neither did it last very long.

It was mostly sombre and judging by the outpouring of some in the management, clearly things are not right in that side and within the dressing room.

It is, in fact, fast approaching that point where the only thing that will satisfy the country is a deep cleanse: get rid of the chairman, the captain, the selectors, the youngsters, the oldies, everyone.

There was, though, one man in bright spirits: Azhar Mahmood. (One official quipped Azhar clearly had not been with the side long enough to be so upbeat.) In fact so eager did the bowling coach look, and has looked through the tournament, it is worth wondering whether he is not better off playing for the XI.

He will be combining dual playing and coaching duties for Surrey this summer so somebody thinks it is a good idea.

And he did point out, as he shadow-practised some cover drives, he has still not officially retired.

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