“They looked too friendly” – Mohammad Kaif expresses disappointment over Pakistan’s performance in the 2023 World Cup.

Former Indian cricketer Mohammad Kaif recently shared his disappointment regarding Pakistan’s below-par performance in the 2023 World Cup. Kaif pointed out that the Men in Green lacked the intimidating presence exhibited by former Pakistani cricket legends such as Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis, and Shoaib Akhtar, who were known for their aggressive on-field tactics, including sledging the opposition.

Kaif observed that the current captain, Babar Azam, along with Shaheen Afridi and Haris Rauf, appeared to be too friendly during the prestigious ICC tournament. This critique follows Pakistan’s fifth-place finish in the points table, preventing them from qualifying for the semifinal

Kaif on ‘X’ wrote “Somehow feel this Pakistan team was too soft, their pacers too nice. Wasim, Waqar, Shoaib were intimidating. They would stare at you, even sledge. Babar, Shaheen, Rauf – they lacked that aura, they looked too friendly.”

Somehow feel this Pakistan team was too soft, their pacers too nice. Wasim, Waqar, Shoaib were intimidating. They would stare at you, even sledge. Babar, Shaheen, Rauf – they lacked that aura, they looked too friendly. #CWC2023

— Mohammad Kaif (@MohammadKaif) November 13, 2023

In terms of individual performances, Afridi and Rauf managed to secure 18 and 16 wickets in nine games, respectively. However, their bowling figures revealed a slight inconsistency, with both players proving to be somewhat expensive in crucial matches, averaging 26.72 and 33.31, respectively. Meanwhile, Babar Azam accumulated 320 runs in nine matches at a strike rate of 82.90.