Published: Nov 14, 2022, 12:15 PM (IST)
Edited: Nov 14, 2022, 12:15 PM (IST)
Melbourne: Jos Buttler-led England won the T20 World Cup 2022 to become the second ever team to win two T20 World Cups. Pakistan batting first could only put 137 runs on the board and England chased it with an over remaining with the help of Ben Stokes’ half-century.
One of the big reason for Pakistan’s loss was the injury of Shaheen Shah Afridi in the 13th over. He landed badly on his leg while taking the catch of Harry Brook. He got the catch but the injury forced him to move out of the ground for the rest of the match.
Iftikhar Ahmed had to ball his remaining balls and this allowed English batters to release the pressure on them and make a comeback in the match. Many Former cricketers have been saying that it was the injury of Afridi that took the game away from Pakistan.
The former World Cup winning captain Imran Khan said the same. He too believed that Shaheen’s injury was the moment England took the game away from them.
“I used to tell my team to fight till the last bowl. Try your best. But when the result comes and you have given your best, then it is God’s will. But what is not in your hands, the way Shaheen Afridi was injured, no one can do anything about that,” Dawn.com quoted Imran Khan.
“And unfortunately, it happened at a time when the match was at a very important stage and Shaheen could have made a difference. I am not saying that we could have won but it was at a time when the game could have been changed,” Imran Khan added.
Imran Khan also appreciated the Pakistani bowling line-up for their efforts in defending a low score like 137 and said “I especially want to say that our fast-bowling attack […] from what I saw today […] is the best fast-bowling attack in the world. Our team right now is among the best teams in the world.”
