Pakistan U19 Team Manager –Nadeem Khan, on Sunday, claimed there could be a magic spell on his players which led them to face a humiliating defeat at the hands of eventual champions India in the World Cup semi-finals 2018 in New Zealand.

According to a report in Press Trust of India, Nadeem Khan said, “We were confident that it would be a close match but as the match progressed and our batting went down for 59 it made one wonder if there was a magic spell on the team. It appeared as if our batsmen had no idea what was happening out on the field or how to tackle the situation and pressure.”

"I wouldn't say our performance was satisfactory even though we managed to make the semifinals. Compared to previous youth teams the current generation of junior players lacked in many areas," he added.

The former spinner, who is the elder brother of Moin Khan, admitted that a lot of work needed to be done to improve youth cricket in Pakistan.

Although, Nadeem appreciated the gesture of the India U19 coach Rahul Dravid to visit Pakistan dressing room and boost the morale of the players after their crushing defeat.

"It was a very nice gesture only confirming Dravid's stature in our eyes," Nadeem signed off. 

After outshining Pakistan in the semi-final, India went on to beat Australia in the final and clinch the World Cup title for the fourth time and became the most successful Team in the tournament.