Former Pakistani fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar expressed his feelings followingPakistan’s elimination from the 2023 Asia Cup. Pakistan was knocked outafter their defeat to Sri Lanka during the Super Four stage in Colombo onThursday.
However, Akhtar had words of praise for the emerging Pakistani pacer, ZamanKhan, who joined the squad due to injuries to Haris Rauf and Naseem Shah.Akhtar commended Khan’s exceptional performance.
Referring to the match, Akhtar stated, “You’ve seen the match. Pakistan isout of the tournament. The match that seemed in Pakistan’s favor was allthanks to Zaman Khan. He played a crucial role in giving Pakistan a chanceto win. Although Shaheen Afridi also contributed with some wickets, thecredit primarily goes to Zaman.
He bowled exceptionally well,” Akhtar shared on his YouTube channel.Akhtar acknowledged Pakistan’s rightful place in the Asia Cup final butadmitted that Sri Lanka outperformed them on the crucial day. He mentioned,”Pakistan deserved to be in the Asia Cup final, but they are now out of thetournament. They will face significant criticism, as they were consideredthe ‘favorites.’
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Unfortunately, there won’t be a Pakistan vs. India match in the final,which has never happened before. This was the opportunity, but Sri Lankadeserves to be in the finals,” he added. In the wake of this dishearteningdefeat, Akhtar described it as ’embarrassing’ and called on Babar Azam’steam to regroup, tighten their preparations, and gear up for the upcomingODI World Cup, scheduled to begin next month.
He concluded by saying, “Having said that, this is a very embarrassingloss. Pakistan’s elimination is disappointing, and there’s much forPakistan to ponder. The captaincy needs improvement. I am deeplydisappointed; there’s not much more to say.”
