Pakistan’s Asia Cup 2023 campaign came to an end on Thursday (September 14) with a two-wicket defeat against Sri Lanka in the Super-4 clash at R Premadasa Stadium, Colombo.

The members of the Pakistan cricket fraternity are reacting strongly in the aftermath of the national team’s ouster from the continental tournament.

Amid the scrutiny, former Pakistan all-rounder Mohammad Hafeez has called for unwavering support and a boost in confidence for skipper Babar Azam leading up to the forthcoming ODI World Cup in India.

"It is not fair to just blame him for not reaching the Asia Cup final. We are not willing to give credit alone to the captain for reaching a final, so why blame him alone for not reaching the Asia Cup final? Cricket is a team game," Hafeez said while addressing the media on Saturday (September 16).

"These bunch of players have been playing together for a while now under Babar, so if we take care of some weak areas, Pakistan remains among the top four favourites in the World Cup," he added.

Addressing the areas of improvement, Hafeez stated, "We need to reflect on where we went wrong, and what is obvious is that our spinners didn't deliver as expected, and the injuries to Haris and Naseem did hurt us."

Hafeez also opposed the idea of change in leadership at this juncture. "Babar needs full support, and it would be a folly to even think about changing the captain now."

Talking about the challenges of playing in India, Hafeez recalled his own experiences, having featured in the 2011 World Cup in India.

"The problem is many of our players have limited exposure to playing in Indian conditions," Hafeez acknowledged.

"It is a big challenge for any Pakistani player to perform in India during a mega event, but hopefully, we can count on our players to rise to the occasion. We shouldn't let the disappointment of the Asia Cup deter our optimism or support for the team."

(With PTI Inputs)