When the World Cup fixtures were first released, England-Pakistan at the Eden Gardens had a halo around it. A marquee tie between two world champions and potential semifinalists on the penultimate day of the league stage was a mouth-watering prospect.
Come match-day, England is out of contention and Pakistan all but. Friday’s pre-match briefing with Babar Azam was thus mostly about sombre reflection and the future course of action.
“I think the South Africa match cost us,” said the Pakistan skipper. “We should have won that [and] because of that we are in this stage. There is one match left. You never know. It’s cricket; we will try to finish on a good note and then see.”
