Pakistan’s cricket team has faced significant challenges in the 2023 World Cup, with their latest defeat against South Africa marking their fourth consecutive loss in the tournament. This string of losses has placed Pakistan in a precarious position where they must rely on uncertain scenarios to secure a spot in the next round of the World Cup. Pakistan’s performance in the tournament has been disappointing, and they have set several embarrassing records during the competition.

1. Failed to Defend 270+ Runs Twice: Pakistan has had a strong history of successfully defending 270+ run totals in World Cup matches. However, in the 2023 World Cup, they failed to defend such scores on two occasions. They posted 282 against Afghanistan, who comfortably chased it down. In another match, Pakistan set a target of 270 against South Africa, but the Proteas successfully chased it, marking a departure from Pakistan’s historical performance.
2. First-Ever Defeat Against Afghanistan: Before the 2023 World Cup, Pakistan had a perfect record against Afghanistan in ODI cricket, winning all seven of their previous encounters. However, Afghanistan secured their first victory against Pakistan on the world stage, ending this winning streak and causing significant disappointment among Pakistan’s cricket fans and experts.
3. Four Consecutive Defeats in World Cup: Pakistan’s history in World Cup matches from 1975 to 2019 included a streak of never losing four consecutive matches. In the 2023 World Cup, they started with two consecutive victories against the Netherlands and Sri Lanka. However, they went on to suffer four consecutive losses to India, Australia, Afghanistan, and South Africa. The defeat against South Africa was particularly significant as it marked the first time Pakistan had lost to them in a World Cup match (ODI and T20I) since 1999. Experiencing four successive defeats in a World Cup for the first time underscores Pakistan’s disappointing performance in this year’s tournament.

Despite these records, Pakistan still has a slim chance of making it to the semi-finals if they win their remaining matches with a significant margin. While the odds are against them, cricket fans know that the sport is full of surprises and miracles can happen.