Pakistan were on verge of qualifying for the T20 World Cup 2021 but their winning run came to an end with a defeat against Australia in the semi-final. They lost the match by 5 wickets after failing to defend the target of 177 runs in a hard-fought contest.
All the focus was shifted to Pakistan's Hasan Ali after their defeat as he dropped Matthew Wade's catch in the 19th over of the match. After the reprieve, Wade smashed three consecutive sixes to Shaheen Afridi and sealed the game with an over left.
Although Pakistan did a few other mistakes in both batting and bowling departments, most of the Pakistan cricket fans blamed Hasan for the catch drop. Former India cricketer Virender Sehwag feels the anger is justified as it was a crucial catch, but the fans should stand with the team.
"Anyone who loses usually reacts in such a manner. So entire Pakistan would be blaming Hasan Ali for their loss. After he dropped the catch, Wade hit three sixes in three balls and finished the match. I think their anger is justified but it's the same Pakistan team they supported and so when they lose they should still be supported," he said in a video posted on his Facebook page.
After suffering a loss, Pakistan captain Babar Azam had said at the post-match presentation that the outcome of the match could have been different had the catch been taken by Ali.
"The turning point of the match was the dropped catch of Matthew Wade. A new batter coming in then and it would have been a different scenario and maybe a different result. As a player you should always be on your toes and take any opportunity that arises," said Babar.
“On the day, catches were dropped and because of that, the match changed. Had the catch not been dropped, the scenario would have been different. But this is part of the game and the more we learn from our mistakes the better,” he added.
