USA Rocked Pakistan Shocked

Pakistan captain Babar Azam expressed disappointment with his team’s performance, particularly criticizing the bowlers for their inability to defend 159.

The surprising defeat occurred in a tightly contested match at Grand Prairie Stadium in Texas, where Pakistan lost to the USA by 5 runs in their opening game of the T20 World Cup 2024. In his post-match comments, Babar emphasized the bowlers’ failure to maintain discipline and execute their plans effectively, especially during the crucial initial overs. Azam highlighted that with the quality of Pakistan’s bowling attack, 159 should have been defendable. Pakistan’s innings were shaky, and key wickets of Usman Khan, Mohammed Rizwan, and Fakhar Zaman were lost within the first six overs.

However, a partnership between Shadab Khan and Babar Azam helped them post a competitive total. Despite this, the USA batters, led by skipper Monank Patel, matched Pakistan’s total, pushing the game into a Super Over. In the Super Over, USA’s Aaron Jones excelled, scoring 18 runs against Mohammed Amir. Pakistan, in response, managed only 13 runs, ultimately losing the match by 5 runs. Babar acknowledged the USA team’s performance: “We did not take wickets in the first six overs. During the intermediate overs, the burden falls on you if your spinner isn’t securing wickets. We managed to bounce back after the first ten overs, but how they wrapped up the game in the Super Over deserves applause. The US team truly deserves the credit for that. This defeat serves as a wake-up call for Pakistan, highlighting areas that need improvement if they are to progress in the tournament.