Former Pakistan captain Mohammad Hafeez questioned the Green Shirts’ Super Over strategy against the United States (USA) in their first match of the T20 World Cup 2024 which was played at the Grand Prairie Stadium, Dallas, on Thursday.
Pakistan's Mohammad Amir took the ball in the Super Over and the USA concluded their innings 18-1 in reply, Pakistan could only score 13-1 and ended up losing the match by five runs.
Talking to local media channel after the match, Hafeez expressed unhappiness with Amir bowling the last over, saying it should have been Shaheen Afridi or Naseem Shah as both have been playing cricket for a long time while this was Amir’s first international tournament after returning to cricket.
"Who was the best bowler? For me, it would be Naseem Shah and then Shaheen Shah Afridi. Amir was away from Pakistan cricket for four years. Don't try to compare international T20 leagues to international cricket. You didn't trust your main player and trusted someone who is making a comeback after four years," Hafeez said.
The former cricketer also slammed the team for not being able to keep their nerves together and lost to a team with not much international experience as Pakistan.
"How did Pakistan lose not one, but two matches in a day? First, we lost the 20-over game and then the super over. We understand you were nervous. It was a nervous batting innings, it was nervous bowling and fielding. I understand it in the 20-over game. But you couldn't control your nerves in a Super Over?" he concluded.
Pakistan now play arch-rivals India next on June 9 in New York, should they suffer another defeat, their chances of qualifying for the World Cup Super 8 would be little to one. On the other hand, the USA have now two wins in two matches and they are in a strong position to make way to the last eight.
- Mohammad Hafeez
