(AP Photo)
The Pakistan cricket squad experienced a disastrous beginning to their T20 World Cup 2024 journey. In their inaugural match of the tournament, Pakistan suffered a stunning defeat against co-hosts USA. The American team demonstrated precision in their performance, clinching victory in the Super Over against their Asian adversaries. This loss marked a significant upset, drawing criticism from former cricketers for Pakistan’s lackluster gameplay. Former captain Salman Butt recently expressed his disappointment with the performance of the Babar Azam-led team. Speaking on Cricket Baithak’s YouTube channel, Butt remarked that it appeared as though the Pakistan cricket team had arrived in the USA “on foot.” Additionally, Butt voiced his dismay over the bowling performance of renowned pacer Shaheen Afridi.
“It is what it is. I don’t know what to say. It seemed that the Pakistan team came to USA on foot. Body language was very lethargic and there was no energy. It also seemed like we have been playing cricket for 150 years,” Salman Butt explained.
Pakistan’s highly-discussed bowling prowess seemed lackluster against a comparatively inexperienced batting lineup of the USA. Despite defending a target of 160 runs, Pakistan only managed to secure three wickets. Left-arm fast bowler Shaheen Afridi fell short of expectations, failing to secure a single wicket. Afridi completed his quota of four overs but conceded 33 runs in the process. Butt’s criticism extended to Shaheen Afridi, highlighting that the pacer relied heavily on yorkers without showcasing variety in his bowling arsenal.
“Pakistan boast about their fast bowling but we didn’t bowl a single bouncer against the USA. Is this the same bowling that Ramiz Raja and others made a hype of. We needed to win the game by taking wickets but they lost only wickets after crossing 100. Being an associate nation, I thought USA should’ve been under pressure, but in this case it seemed that Pakistan were the minnows. USA looked so relaxed. They had better field placements than us. Shaheen doesn’t seem to have anything other than yorkers. If his ball isn’t swinging, he becomes zero,” Butt said.
In their upcoming T20 World Cup match, Pakistan will face their arch-rivals India on Sunday, June 9. The highly anticipated clash between India and Pakistan is set to take place at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium in New York. India will enter the contest buoyed by their victory in the tournament opener against Ireland, securing a commanding win by eight wickets.
