NEW DELHI: It will be difficult for
Babar Azam
's team to go to the
T20 World Cup
knockout stages, according to legendary pacer
Wasim Akram
, who criticized
Pakistan
for their "pathetic performance" against the USA in the Super Over.
Before the United States of America successfully defended 18 runs in the Super Over to record a historic victory in Dallas on Thursday, the two teams had scored 159 runs each in the regulation period.
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"Pathetic performance. Winning and losing is a part of the game. But you need to fight till the last ball. It was a bad for Pakistan cricket," Akram told Star Sports.
"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)," he added.
The key to Pakistan's victory in the 1992 World Cup believed that the USA's early wicket-taking marked the game's turning moment.
After the Power Play, Pakistan faltered to 30 for three, and even though captain Babar and
Shadab Khan
added 72 runs for the fourth wicket, they were unable to muster much momentum after that.
"The turning point of the game...the way USA got early wickets. 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," he said.
In his playing days, Akram was a virtuoso of bowling at the death, and he said that Pakistan's aspirations were shattered by giving up 18 runs in the Super Over.
"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.
"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 said.
USA captain
Monank Patel
received high plaudits from Akram for organizing his bowling arsenal and hitting a game-winning fifty.
"The moment of the day for me was the innings of USA captain Monank Patel, the way he batted...carried his bat.
"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 added.
(With PTI inputs)
English (US) ·