Early Exit and Harsh Criticism
The Pakistan cricket team faced severe criticism after their early exit from the T20 World Cup 2024. This recent failure added to their disappointing group-stage exit from the previous year’s Cricket World Cup. Fans and experts questioned the performance of the team, which had been champions in 2009 and runners-up in the last T20 World Cup. Former Indian cricketer Virender Sehwag was particularly vocal, criticizing Pakistan’s performance.
Disappointing Campaign
Pakistan’s campaign in the T20 World Cup 2024 started poorly with a Super Over loss to the United States in Group A, which also included India, Canada, and Ireland. In their second match, Pakistan narrowly lost to India by six runs, failing to chase a modest target of 120 runs in New York. While India advanced to the Super Eight round with ease, Pakistan’s chances were dashed, with the United States securing the second spot from the group.
Rain and Elimination
The United States had already beaten both Pakistan and Canada in the group stage and advanced to the Super Eight with 5 points. Their match against Ireland was washed out due to rain, which helped them progress further. Pakistan’s hopes depended on the United States losing that match, but the rain ensured the USA moved on, eliminating Pakistan from the tournament.
Sehwag’s Criticism
Virender Sehwag didn’t hold back his criticism, saying Pakistan didn’t deserve to advance even if they had managed to stay in the tournament. He pointed out their loss to a newcomer like the USA and their failure to chase a low target against India as signs of poor performance. Sehwag mentioned that blaming the rain was not an excuse, as Pakistan would likely have struggled in the Super Eight stage as well. He recalled that in 2007, both India and Pakistan failed to qualify for the second round and suggested that the ICC might reconsider group placements in future tournaments to avoid such outcomes.
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