The ache on Shoaib Akhtar’s face mirrored the complete nation of Pakistan because the 2009 T20 World Cup champions had been dealt a physique blow by the US of America throughout their Group A match in Dallas on Thursday. After the match went into the Tremendous Over with each groups ending on an identical scores of 159, Saurabh Netravalkar of Indian-origin defended 19 to information USA to an epic five-run win.
“Very disappointing loss for Pakistan,” mentioned Akhtar in a brief video, expressing his shock and dismay. “Did not provide good begin. Shedding to USA… we created [unwanted] historical past like we did towards Bangladesh within the 1999 World Cup. Sadly, Pakistan by no means deserved to win. Motive why USA performed extraordinarily effectively. They had been in a commanding place. Amir saved the match. He and Shaheen tried. Sadly, we could not pull it off.”
The previous speedster lamented that Babar Azam and his crew as soon as once more grew to become a part of an undesirable piece of historical past 25 years after Pakistan’s 1999 World Cup defeat towards Bangladesh, a sport Akhtar himself was part of.
Akhtar wasn’t the one one saddened by the end result. Former Pakistan wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal lashed out at Babar and his males, calling the end result an insult. “The most important insult for Pakistan cricket is shedding the sport within the Tremendous Over. There cannot be a much bigger insult than this. The USA performed exceptionally effectively. They did not really feel like a low-ranked facet. It felt like they had been ranked above Pakistan. That’s the stage of maturity they confirmed,” Akmal mentioned on his YouTube channel.
The T20 World Cup, throughout its earlier eight editions, has witnessed a justifiable share of upsets however none fairly as surprising as this. Outcomes equivalent to Zimbabwe defeating Australia in 2007 and the Netherlands beating England in 2009 have their very own place in historical past, however the truth that an affiliate crew managed to defeat two-time World Cup winners ranks proper up within the record of largest cricketing upsets of all time, not to mention in World Cups.
That is the second consecutive T20 World Cup by which Pakistan has been defeated by a lower-ranked crew. Two years in the past, they suffered a slender one-run defeat from Zimbabwe within the group stage, and despite the fact that Pakistan recovered brilliantly to succeed in the ultimate, it was a painful expertise nonetheless. Nonetheless, that looks as if a significantly better end result now on reflection, given the polar reverse cricket historical past in Zimbabwe and the USA.
The defeat to USA has landed Pakistan’s T20 World Cup marketing campaign in turmoil. Their subsequent sport is towards event favourites India, whom they defeated within the 2021 T20 World Cup however have misplaced to twice since – as soon as within the 2022 Asia Cup after which in the course of the 2022 T20 World Cup in Melbourne. After the blockbuster conflict towards India, Pakistan’s subsequent opponents are Canada, adopted by a sport towards Eire, a crew they misplaced to in a T20I simply final month.
Haris Rauf Accused of Ball Tampering
Including to Pakistan’s woes, quick bowler Haris Rauf was accused of ball tampering by former South Africa cricketer and member of the USA cricket crew Rusty Theron in the course of the match on the Grand Prairie Stadium in Dallas. Theron’s surprising put up got here earlier than Pakistan’s humiliating loss towards the co-hosts in a Group A match that was determined through Tremendous Over.
Theron accused Haris of scratching the freshly-changed ball together with his fingernail, which he reckoned, led to the reverse swing. “Moments after the dismissal, Theron took to X, previously often called Twitter, to convey to ICC’s consideration as he accused Haris of scratching the freshly-changed ball together with his fingernail, which he reckoned, led to the reverse swing.
He tweeted: “@ICC are we simply going to faux Pakistan aren’t scratching the hell out of this freshly modified ball? Reversing the ball that is simply been modified 2 overs in the past? You’ll be able to actually see Haris Rauf operating his thumbnail over the ball on the prime of his mark. @usacricket #PakvsUSA.”
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