Pakistan all-rounder Shadab Khan on Saturday (November 12) said they might have lost to arch-rivals India in their T20 World Cup 2022 opener but it doesn’t mean that the Men in Blue were a better side.
Shadab’s comment came on the eve of Pakistan’s T20 World Cup 2022 final match against England at MCG.
“We just wanted to give our 100 percent. We knew if we give our 100 percent, the result will come on our side. And that game, we gave our 100 percent. We didn’t finish it but we knew that we are a better side than them,” he said in a chat with Nasser Hussain on Sky Sports.
Commenting on the significance of the fixture, Shadab added: “Pakistan-India game is a big game. For us. For them as well. So we have to try to win that game. Since childhood we also think, doesn’t matter about the other things, if we are winning the World Cup or not….we have to beat India. And the same pressure we are feeling now. That’s the pressure you carry. Doesn’t matter if you are playing or not.”
Notably, Pakistan were in dire straits after suffering two back-to-back last-over defeats in the Super 12 round versus India and Zimbabwe. However, they showed great character and bounced back to register wins against Netherlands, South Africa, and Bangladesh.
Moreover, the result of some other games went in their favour and the Babar Azam-led side eventually made it to the semi-final, where they defeated New Zealand by seven wickets.
Reflecting on Pakistan’s loss in the first two games, Shadab Khan said: “I think personally, in both games, we were dominating but like the last three balls of the games…like Nawaz was there on both occasions, and after the Zimbabwe game he came up to me and said, ‘I tried to forget it. But when I wake up….three balls 13 and three balls three…then I said what have I done’. Personally I felt we played a lot of good cricket but the last overs, we didn’t finish it.”
Before the semi-final against New Zealand, Pakistan skipper Babar Azam had amassed only 39 runs in his five innings at this World Cup.
Babar played a match-winning knock of 42-ball 53 in the semi-final while chasing New Zealand’s target of 153.
“Definitely he [Babar] is under pressure because he is that type of player who always scores runs. And if he isn’t scoring runs he’s feeling the pressure.”
He further added, “He was middling the ball in the nets as well. I talked to him in the nets and I said, ‘Brother, world class players only needs shots’. Like for us we need innings but these type of players, they just need….like if he plays a cover drive for four runs, he is in. Like in the semifinal, he played a cut shot and it went for four and he was in.”
Shadab also explained why it was important for the Pakistan captain to respond to some of the criticism that he and the team faced after losing the first two matches of the tournament.
“I think he has to. Especially…you feel hurt when some players talk about you. When senior players, who played with us, when they talk you feel little hurt and that is why Babar talked back as well.”
