‘We’ve already sunk, now we’ll sink with you’—have you heard this phrase before? It may sound familiar, as it’s famous in cricket, spoken by Gulbadin Naib. In the 2019 World Cup, he was the captain of Afghanistan, and before the match against Bangladesh, their exit had already been confirmed. After that, he wanted to sink with Mashrafe Bin Mortaza’s team.
Today, Bangladesh’s captain, Najmul Hossain, could also say these old words anew. With a 5-wicket loss to New Zealand, Bangladesh’s exit has been confirmed.
With Bangladesh’s loss, Pakistan’s fate is sealed as well. After losing their first two matches, Pakistan’s last hope was Bangladesh. If Najmul’s team had won against New Zealand today, Pakistan would have had a chance to make it to the semifinals.
However, with Bangladesh’s loss to New Zealand, the last group match between Bangladesh and Pakistan on Thursday has now become a mere formality. This is because India and New Zealand, already with two wins, have secured their places in the semifinals, and these two teams can no longer help Pakistan or Bangladesh advance.
