Former Pakistan cricketers Waqar Younis, Rashid Latif, Misbah-ul-Haq, and Inzamam-ul-Haq have come out in support of underfire pacer Hassan Ali amidst the heavy criticism after he dropped Matthew Wade during the crucial stage of the semifinal against Australia in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021.
After Ali dropped Wade, the Australian wicketkeeper-batter hammered Shaheen Afridi for 3 sixes in 3 balls to complete the run-chase of 177 runs and take Australia into the final of the T20 World Cup 2021 with a 5-wicket win over Pakistan in Dubai on November 11. He also had a forgettable outing, conceding 44 runs in his 4 overs without the success of a single wicket against Australia in the semi-final.
Following the loss, Pakistan fans have been brutally targeting Hassan, though the cricket fraternity backed the pacer and said it would be unfair to hold him responsible for the defeat against Australia.
Reacting to the same, Inzamam admitted that mistakes can happen in such high-pressure games. He stated: “The Australians also dropped catches. Hasan is very low on confidence and I think it is the responsibility of the team management to ensure he does not fall down completely.”
Waqar said, “No one does anything intentionally. As a former player myself I know I have been through such bad times…had off days in bowling…dropped catches. I remember how people criticized me after the 1996 World Cup quarter final but I think we need to understand it is a sport.”
Meanwhile, Latif stated: “Harsh criticism and trolling on social media can hurt these players mentally and I can tell you the entire Pakistan team will be down after losing such a big match. The players will go to their rooms, they’ll be quiet, they won’t talk to their families and the defeat will haunt them. But I think we need to move on and come back strongly.”
On the other hand, former Pakistan coach and captain Misbah urged fans not to discourage Hassan further after his lapse against Australia. Misbah noted, “The way he came back from his injury problems was a miracle and he has won so many matches. So I would just ask the cricket fans if he made a mistake, he is human, and don’t discourage him further.”
Whereas Pakistan fast bowler Wahab Riaz said that it is not always easy to pick up the ball under lights at the Dubai stadium. He signed off by saying, “Catches are dropped by everyone. I think Hasan needs to pick himself up and move on. He has not had a very good World Cup and he is short on confidence.”
(With PTI Inputs)
