Legendary fast bowler Wasim Akram didn’t hold back his criticism of Pakistan’s “pathetic performance” against the USA in the T20 World Cup. Pakistan’s loss in the Super Over, after both teams tied at 159 runs in regulation time, leaves their qualification for the knockout stages in jeopardy, according to Akram.
“Pathetic performance,” Wasim Akram stated bluntly to Star Sports. “Winning and losing is a part of the game. But you need to fight till the last ball. It was a bad day for Pakistan cricket.” He further emphasized the uphill battle Pakistan now faces: “Pakistan will struggle from here onwards to qualify for the Super Eight because they have to play India (on June 9) and two more good teams (Ireland and Canada).”
Wasim Akram pinpointed the early wickets lost by Pakistan as a turning point in the match. Reduced to a shaky 30 for 3 by the end of the Powerplay, Pakistan struggled to regain momentum despite a partnership between Babar Azam and Shadab Khan.
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“The way USA got early wickets,” Wasim Akram explained. “Pakistan had a little partnership between Babar and Shadab and then nobody turned up. The fielding was below average, the overall cricket by Pakistan was average.”
As a former master of death bowling himself, Wasim Akram highlighted conceding 18 runs in the Super Over as a crucial factor in Pakistan’s downfall.
“While playing against USA, I was confident, every Pakistan supporter was confident that they will win after the way they played in the first innings,” he admitted. “In the second innings, they (USA) came out to chase…I mean getting 19 runs in the Super Over is like getting 36 runs in a Super Over. Well done USA,” he conceded, praising the American team’s performance.
Wasim Akram reserved special praise for USA captain Monank Patel, crediting both his match-winning fifty and his leadership in marshalling the bowling attack.
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“The moment of the day for me was the innings of USA captain Monank Patel, the way he batted…carried his bat,” Akram said. “The way he used his suit as in he led from the front. Their fielding was spot-on every time, and very impressive cricket from the USA,” he concluded.
