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Former Pakistan speedster Shoaib Akhtar expressed his disappointment over Pakistan's abrupt departure from the Asia Cup 2023, labeling it as 'embarrassing'. Following a nail-biting match against Sri Lanka, which saw the latter clinching victory in the final ball amidst rain interruptions in Colombo, Pakistan's dreams of competing against India in the championship match were dashed.
The veteran cricketer specifically called out team captain Babar Azam, emphasizing the need for him to refine his leadership skills, especially with the forthcoming ODI World Cup on the horizon.
The dramatic match's outcome meant that fans were deprived of witnessing a historic Indo-Pak Asia Cup final, a sentiment that Akhtar echoed, stating his regret over the missed opportunity.
While he acknowledged the commendable efforts of Shaheen Afridi, Akhtar pointed out that Zaman's contribution played a pivotal role in keeping Pakistan's hopes alive during the match.
"You've seen the match. Pakistan are out of the tournament. The match that was made in favour of Pakistan, was all done by Zaman Khan. He landed the day before yesterday and this boy did excellent bowling in the Pakistan Super League. Whatever chances Pakistan had of winning the match were all because of him. Shaheen Afridi also got a few wickets but credit goes to Zaman. He bowled really well," Shoaib Akhtar said in a video on his YouTube channel.
Shoaib Akhtar also didn't miss the chance to laud Sri Lanka's resilience and performance, asserting that they rightfully earned their position in the final clash against India.
"Pakistan deserved to win go to the Asia Cup final but they are out of the tournament. They can be criticised a lot as they were touted as the 'favourites' but are out of the tournament now. Unfortunately, there can't be a Pakistan vs India match in the final, it has never happened (kabhi Pakistan, India ka match (final) ho nahi sakta, kabhi hua nahi). This was the chance but Sri Lanka deserved to be the finalists. They were the far better team," Akhtar opined.
"Having said that this is a very embarrassing loss. The fact that Pakistan are out of the tournament, doesn't look nice. Pakistan have a lot to think about. The captaincy needs to sharpen up a bit. I am very disappointed. Can't say more," he concluded.
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