Yes, Sahibzada Farhan’s performance will be remembered. Three hundred and eighty-three runs — the highest in a single edition of the tournament — is no ordinary feat. His century against Sri Lanka was a statement of will and temperament. He gave Pakistan momentum, but no support followed. Babar and Saim were absent from the equation. Throughout the tournament, after solid foundations, the middle order imploded. Strike rotation stalled. Dot balls accumulated. Pressure multiplied. The innings that should have accelerated plateaued instead. Against Sri Lanka, after a 176-run opening stand, Pakistan’s 212 somehow felt underwhelming. Those final overs — once again — exposed Pakistan’s longstanding inability to finish with authority. With the ball, Pakistan were tidy but rarely threatening. On pitches expected to offer grip and turn, Pakistan’s spinners were conspicuously ordinary. No sustained pressure. No tactical squeeze. In conditions tailor-made for them, they did not outthink or outbowl the opposition. Shaheen Shah Afridi, to his credit, looked closer to his earlier self — sharper, more in rhythm.
Leadership, inevitably, enters the conversation. Salman Ali Agha’s captaincy will invite scrutiny, and fairly so. Pressure moments demand instinct and clarity. Instead, Pakistan appeared reactive. Field placements lagged behind the flow of the game. Bowling changes came a touch late. Tactical decisiveness was missing when it mattered most. Such a below average all-round performance is not acceptable and structural changes need to be made.