The T20 World Cup 2024, hosted by America and the West Indies, began on a disappointing note for the Pakistan cricket team. Despite having star players like Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan, Mohammad Aamir, Fakhar Zaman, and Shaheen Shah Afridi, Pakistan suffered a shocking defeat at the hands of host nation America. Playing in their first World Cup, the American team clinched victory in a thrilling Super Over. Pakistans performance was marked by a failure in both batting and bowling, prompting Captain Babar Azam to make a significant statement post-match.Babars Reaction: Whos to BlameIn the aftermath of the defeat, Captain Babar Azam acknowledged several mistakes but predominantly blamed the bowlers. He highlighted their inability to take wickets as a crucial factor in the loss. During the match, Pakistans bowlers managed to dismiss only three American batsmen.Babar Azam stated, We did not take advantage of the first 6 overs in batting. When you lose wickets continuously, you fall back. As a batsman, you need to step up and form partnerships. Our bowling in the first 6 overs was also not up to the mark. Our spinners failed to take wickets in the middle overs, leading to our downfall. All credit goes to the USA team they played better than us.Match OverviewThe US team won the toss and opted to bowl first. Pakistan set a target of 159 runs for the loss of 7 wickets. In response, the US team also scored 159 runs for the loss of 3 wickets in 20 overs, leading to a tie. The match proceeded to a Super Over, where the US team scored 18 runs. Pakistan, in turn, managed only 13 runs, resulting in a thrilling 5-run victory for the USA.This defeat serves as a wake-up call for Pakistan, highlighting areas that need improvement as they progress in the T20 World Cup. The teams inability to capitalise on early batting opportunities and the bowlers failure to take crucial wickets were evident in this match. As the tournament continues, Pakistan will need to address these issues to perform better in future games.
