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During the World Championship of Legends 2024, former Pakistan cricketer Younis Khan candidly discussed the Babar Azam-led team’s disappointing performance in the T20 World Cup 2024. Khan expressed that the team was determined to bring pride to their nation following Pakistan’s premature exit from the tournament.
Pakistan’s campaign in the T20 World Cup 2024, held across the West Indies and the USA, was marked by setbacks. They suffered a surprising defeat against the USA in their opening match and then faced a loss to arch-rivals India, which significantly impacted their chances of advancing to the Super Eight stage.
Despite rallying with victories against Canada and Ireland in their remaining group matches, Pakistan’s efforts fell short of securing a top-two finish in Group A. Consequently, Team India and the United States of America progressed to the Super Eight stage from the competitive group.
We Felt That We Had To Win This Game – Younis Khan
Younis Khan is presently part of Pakistan Champions in the ongoing World Championship of Legends 2024. Pakistan Champions secured a notable five-wicket win against Australia Champions in their second match at Edgbaston Cricket Stadium in Birmingham on Wednesday, July 3.
Captain Younis Khan was awarded the “Player of the Match” for his outstanding batting display. Reflecting on the victory, Younis noted that their team had faced constraints in practice due to prior commitments in television work during the World Cup. Despite this, he emphasized their team’s resilience and high morale going forward.
“We haven’t had much practice, as we had been busy doing television work for the World Cup. We just finished and traveled here, but our spirits are very high because, after what happened in the World Cup, we felt that we had to win this game for our country,” Younis Khan said.
Pakistan chose to field first after winning the toss. Shaun Marsh struggled, managing only 16 runs from 20 balls before getting dismissed. Aaron Finch, however, played aggressively, scoring 68 runs off 40 balls with nine fours and three sixes, setting a strong foundation for Australia in the second match of the event.
Callum Ferguson remained unbeaten with 26 runs off 16 balls, including two boundaries and a six. Lower-order batsman Nathan Coulter-Nile contributed a rapid 25 runs off just 10 balls, smashing two fours and two sixes. Pakistan’s Shoaib Malik and Shahid Afridi excelled with the ball, each claiming two wickets.
Pakistan’s innings started poorly, losing two wickets for just 24 runs. Captain Younis Khan turned the tide with a brilliant 63 runs off 41 balls, while Misbah-ul-Haq remained unbeaten on 46 runs off 30 balls. The duo rescued Pakistan from a precarious position of 79/4 in 8.3 overs, forging a crucial 90-run partnership. Eventually, the Younis Khan-led team successfully chased down the target with five wickets and two balls to spare.
