Ex-Pakistan skipper Salman Butt expressed fury towards the Babar Azam-led team following their unexpected loss to T20 World Cup co-hosts, the United States of America (USA).
The USA claimed victory over Pakistan in a thrilling Super Over showdown at Prairie View Stadium in Dallas. Butt criticized the Pakistani players in a recent statement, highlighting their apparent lack of determination, likening their performance to a lethargic journey to the USA on foot.
In a video on Cricket Baithak’s YouTube channel, Salman Butt expressed his frustration, stating, ‘It is what it is. I don’t know what to say. It seemed that the Pakistan team came to USA on foot. Body language was very lethargic and there was no energy. It also seemed like we have been playing cricket for 150 years.’
Salman Butt : “Shaheen doesn’t know anything other than yorkers with the new ball. If his ball isn’t swinging, he becomes ineffective.”#SportsTrendsCanada | #PAKvUSA | #T20WorldCup2024 | @im_SalmanButt pic.twitter.com/EIgqAOWhNe
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Butt criticized Pakistan’s performance against the USA, highlighting their failure to utilize bouncers and Shaheen Afridi’s overreliance on yorkers.
‘Pakistan boasts about their fast bowling, but we didn’t utilize bouncers against the USA. Is this the same bowling that Ramiz Raja and others hyped up? We needed to take wickets, but they only lost wickets before reaching 100. It felt like Pakistan were the minnows, not the USA. Their field placements were better than ours. Shaheen seems to rely solely on yorkers. When his swing isn’t working, he becomes ineffective,’ he commented.
Pakistan’s defeat to the USA deals a blow to their Super Eight qualification hopes. They face arch-rivals India next, with India defeating Ireland in their T20 World Cup opener.
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Reflecting on Pakistan’s loss, Babar noted, ‘We didn’t capitalize on the first 6 overs while batting. Losing wickets in succession puts you on the back foot. We didn’t perform well in the first 6 overs with the ball either. Our spinners failed to take wickets in the middle overs, which cost us. Credit to the USA, they outperformed us in all aspects. The pitch had some moisture and was two-paced. As professionals, we need to assess the conditions.’
