Former India player Navjot Singh Sidhu has criticized Pakistan’s batting for making things tough on a seemingly easy chase in their 2024 T20 World Cup clash against Ireland. He added that their bowlers had virtually laid the game on a platter for them as well. Notably, Pakistan restricted Ireland to 106/9 after asking them to bat first in Lauderhill, Florida, on Sunday, June 16.

Reviewing the game on Star Sports, Sidhu said, “What can you do if the batters don’t perform? Only the captain scored 32 runs. Shaheen Shah Afridi and Mohammad Amir had put the match in the bag. Mohammad Amir took two wickets, and Shaheen Shah Afridi and Imad Wasim took three apiece. Their balls were stopping and coming, and turning as well.”

“I felt they would win easily. It was mandatory to win peacefully. The pitch had become drier and better and the bowling was not that strong. You get fame when you make a difficult job easy. However, you should learn from Pakistan how to make an easy job difficult,” the former India opener again added.

However, Babar Azam (32* off 34) was the only Pakistan player to reach 20. Fakhar Zaman (5), Usman Khan (2), Shadab Khan (0) and Imad Wasim (4) lost their wickets very cheaply as they were reduced to 62/6 at one stage after being comfortably placed at 52/2. However, Navjot Sidhu praised Pakistan for avoiding another defeat.

“The heart was in the mouth. It seemed at one stage, when the sixth wicket fell at around 65, that the match was stuck. It was on an even keel. However, people who don’t fight for their pride are meek. It doesn’t matter to the cowards but for the respectable, infamy is equal to death. I feel, considering how much Pakistan have been criticized, this win will work as an elixir for them. When a person starts drinking poison every day, two drops of elixir are enough to live his life. Their bowling has been a very good takeaway,” Navjot Singh Sidhu concluded.