- By Namrata Vijay
- Fri, 07 Jun 2024 12:58 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
PAK vs USA, T20 World Cup 2024: Former Pakistan cricketer Shoaib Akhtar’s reaction resonated with the whole country after Pakistan suffered a humiliating loss to the USA in their T20 World Cup tournament opener on Thursday. The nail-biting thriller went into the Super Over after both teams scored 159 runs in 20 overs. Saurabh Netravalkar defended 19 runs, helping his team script history by defeating Pakistan by five runs.
Like many former Pakistan cricketers, Shoaib was miffed with the result. He shared a short video where he slammed the Babar Azam-led side for creating an unwanted record 25 years after their loss to Bangladesh in the 1999 World Cup.
"Very disappointing loss for Pakistan. We didn't offer a good start. Losing to the USA… we created [unwanted] history like we did against Bangladesh in the 1999 World Cup. Unfortunately, Pakistan never deserved to win. The USA played extremely well. They were in a commanding position. Amir saved the match. He and Shaheen tried, but unfortunately, we couldn't pull it off," Akhtar said in the video.
Also Read: USA skipper Monank Patel happy with team's performance against Pakistan
Akhtar isn’t the only one annoyed with the result. Ex-Pakistan wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal also criticized Babar Azam and his team, calling the result embarrassing. "The biggest insult for Pakistan cricket is losing the game in the Super Over. There can't be a bigger insult than this. The USA played exceptionally well. They didn't feel like a low-ranked side. It felt like they were ranked above Pakistan. That is the level of maturity they showed," Akmal said on his YouTube channel.
The mega-event has witnessed many upsets in its previous editions, but this turned out to be the most shocking. While matches like Zimbabwe beating Australia in 2007 and the Netherlands defeating England in 2009 have their place in history, an associate team like the USA beating the Babar Azam-led side is one of the biggest upsets.
What’s with Pakistan and upsets?
The Babar Azam-led side has lost to an associate team in a T20 World Cup for the second consecutive time. Just two years ago, Zimbabwe beat them by one run in the group-stage clash. Although Pakistan bounced back brilliantly and qualified for the finals, it was a painful journey.
After losing to the USA in their tournament opener, their 2024 T20 World Cup campaign is in tatters. They will face their arch-rivals India in their next match. After India, Pakistan will face Canada and Ireland.
