KARACHI: It was total carnage for Pakistan in Tuesday’s last league-phase game as West Indies pounded them into submission and denied the men in green an unparallel fifth time qualification for the World Tweny20’s knockout round.

It was something Pakistan, in hindsight, probably had expectedly feared but were least prepared for it against a West Indies side with whom they share one aspect in common — unpredictably. Both are known for their hot-and-cold attitude when it comes to playing cricket of any format.

After all, a lot was at stake for Pakistan and the West Indies on the night with the remaining semi-final berth to be sealed. If they had been competing on a tennis court, the popular saying of ‘game, set and match’ would have had a major say. As it was the West Indies were dominant from the 16th over of the Group Two fixture.

Common sense was one thing that Pakistan sadly lacked as their usual inconsistencies on the batting front literally bundled them out of further reckoning.

It was a hiding from which countless heads would roll — the customary hullabaloo whenever the nation is betrayed by its cricketing sons on the playing fields. Had these very players gone down fighting to the last drop of blood, perhaps even those with some interest in sport would be prepared to forgive them for at least giving their best.

But it was, to say the least, an abject surrender from the Mohammad Hafeez-led Pakistan team. Gauge the simple facts: the 84-run margin was the biggest-ever win for the West Indians in a Twenty20 International, usurping the 74-run triumph against Australia in the semi-final of the previous World Twenty20 in Colombo.

On the other side of the coin, it was Pakistan’s second heaviest Twenty20 International thrashing ever. Their worst, of course, was against Australia in 2012 when they lost by 94 runs in Dubai.

Moreover, the avalanche of 82 runs — under which Pakistan were truly drowned — from the flashing blades of Dwayne Bravo and Darren Sammy is the most any Full Member of the ICC has given away in the last five overs in a Twenty20 International.

Worst still, Pakistan mustering 13-4 in the mandatory six-over Powerplay has been matched only once by a Full Member team in this format when Zimbabwe were precariously placed against, guess who, the West Indies in Trinidad. But unlike Pakistan, the Zimbabweans somehow won that game!Unsurprisingly, Pakistan failed to strike a single boundary during the Powerplay overs. That has happened only four times before in the T20I history.

Saeed Ajmal bettered his nightmarish act of the 2010 World Twenty20 semi-final — when one Michael Hussey smashed 23 runs in five deliveries to steer Australia into the final — by conceding 24 off his final over, the most he had given away in an over in T20Is.

Hafeez was quick to apologize to the nation at the post-match media conference during which the Pakistan skipper faced several awkward questions. It was upon his staunch insistence that the national selectors were forced to pick senior duo of Shoaib Malik and Kamran Akmal who both had a forgetful outing in Bangladesh.

With due regards, Hafeez shouldn’t be apologetic. After all, it was a squad of his own choice. He wanted Malik and Kamran — the latter was specifically announced as an opener only when the selectors unveiled the 15-man squad in Rawalpindi in late February but kept wickets in the tournament — at the cost of merit and now he has paid the price because he asked for it.

Why feel sorry for naming an out-of-sorts Malik in all four playing XIs which Pakistan fielded during the tournament? Why feel sorry over the shot selection of his batsmen and losing too many early wickets?

Hafeez’s assessment that ‘when the momentum is not with you, you see this kind of cricket where even good teams can collapse’ is something hard to digest because Pakistan has never really done well in pressure situations. When the heat is on, they just capitulate.

Hafeez’s captaincy is now open to debate and up for grabs. His coming in at the pivotal No 3 slot and his constant preference for his ‘old buddy’ Malik over Sohaib Maqsood in the batting order and not even bothering to give Sharjeel Khan a go after Malik failed in the first two matches were debatable moves as were his overreliance on Umar Gul in the death overs and ignoring Junaid Khan for the mediocre credentials of Sohail Tanvir.

Some might say that if West Indies had aspired to win, Pakistan had conspired themselves to defeat purely because of illogical team selections. They should have taken a leaf out of Sri Lanka’s book. Sensing that Ajantha Mendis was short on confidence after the mauling he received against England, Sri Lanka brought in Rangana Herath for his first game of the tournament and look what he did to the New Zealanders.

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