Pakistan got their 2024 T20 World Cup campaign underway on Thursday, as they took on tournament co-hosts USA at the Grand Prairie Stadium in Dallas, Texas. Several Pakistani ex-players and current pundits had strong words about the team after the defeat.
It was an inauspicious start for the 2009 champions, as they managed 159 in the first innings, and failed to defend the score. USA’s Nitish Kumar hit a boundary off the final delivery of the match to force a Super Over, in which the Americans prevailed by 5 runs.
Several Pakistani ex-players and current pundits had strong words about the team after the defeat.
‘Pathetic performance’ - Wasim Akram
Speaking to Star Sports immediately after the game, former fast bowler and World Cup winner Wasim Akram said, “Pathetic performance. They were playing against USA. I was confident, every Pakistani supporter was confident they would win. Credit to USA for the way they played their cricket.”
“The turning point of the game was how they (USA) got wickets early. There was one partnership between Shadab and Babar and then nobody looked comfortable. The fielding was average, overall cricket was very average. Winning and losing is a part of it, we all know. But till the last ball, show some fight, put some dives in. It was a bad day for Pakistan I suppose.”
On social media, Wasim’s long-time seam-bowling partner Waqar Younis took to X (formerly Twitter) to congratulate USA on their victory. He criticised Pakistan’s performance as well, calling them “exhausted and helpless in the field”.
USA grounded Pakistan in their opening game. History’s been registered. Pakistan looked exhausted and helpless in the field. Congrats USA for a thumping victory #PAKvUSA @cricketworldcup pic.twitter.com/YwT20swT2Z
— Waqar Younis (@waqyounis99) June 6, 2024
Shoaib Akhtar also posted his thoughts on social media following the match. Uploading a video with the caption, ‘Hurt & disappointed’, he said, “We repeated the history, like we did against Bangladesh in the 1999 World Cup. Unfortunately Pakistan never deserved to win.”
“[Mohammad] Amir saved the match. Shaheen, Amir, all of them tried. If you look at it, they were ahead for 37 overs, they beat us for 37 overs. Unfortunately, we couldn’t pull it off.”
Hurt & disappointed. #pakvsusa pic.twitter.com/PfQkk6qQ09
— Shoaib Akhtar (@shoaib100mph) June 6, 2024
Kamran Akmal takes shots at Pakistan’s domestic set-up
Former Pakistan wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal had some strong words to say about the domestic system in Pakistan. In his appearance on Ary News he said, “I am very proud of the players I played with. They used to fight, no matter what. But this team, for the last six-seven years, has been giving you ‘good news’ like this every three months.”
“I don’t understand where our system is going. You (PCB) have made six teams, you have gotten rid of department and regional cricket. Why is India number one? They have 43 teams [in their domestic set-up]. They have supported the teams, so that the quality comes to them. They say let the quantity increase, but quality players will also come, will get an opportunity.”
The loss to USA came as a real shock to the Pakistani team and fans, who had expected to defeat a side ranked 10 places below them in T20I cricket. It has also put Pakistan’s chances of qualification to the Super Eight stage of the tournament in danger, as they will likely need to defeat arch-rivals and Group A favourites India to stand a realistic chance of going through.
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