Babar Azam blames Shadab Khan, Iftikhar Ahmed and powerplay performance for shocking loss to USA

T20 World Cup 2024: USA lost just three wickets in the run chase. Spinners Shadab Khan and Iftikhar Ahmed failed to take a wicket in the slog overs.

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Babar Azam and head coach Gary Kirsten after Pakistan's loss to USA (Screengrab: X)

Babar Azam and head coach Gary Kirsten after Pakistan's loss to USA (Screengrab: X)

Highlights:

Babar Azam said that they were ineffective in the powerplay overs.

Shadab Khan and Iftikhar Ahmed remained wicketless.

USA created history on June 6 with a thrilling super over win over Babar Azam’s Pakistan in their second T20 World Cup 2024 clash. Pakistan failed to defend the score of 159/7 in the absence of an injured Imad Wasim. After the defeat Babar who scored 44 runs from 43 balls did not take the blame himself. He blamed performance with bat and ball in the powerplay overs along with spinners Shadab Khan and Iftikhar Ahmed’s inability to take a wicket in the middle overs. 
 

“First 6 overs while batting we didn’t capitalise. Back to back wickets always put you on the back foot, as a batter you need to step up and build partnerships. We were not up to the mark in the first 6 overs with the ball. Our spinners also did not take wickets in the middle overs so these things cost us,” Babar said in the post-match presentation. 
 

The loss against USA is a bitter pill to swallow but Babar lauded the Monank Patel-led side for outclassing them in all departments of the game. Babar who failed to hit a boundary in nearly the first half of the innings also said that the pitch was two-paced.
 

“Very hard, all credit to USA, they played better than us in all three departments. Little bit of moisture in the pitch, it was also two-paced. As a professional you need to assess the conditions,” he added. 
 

Babar loses his cool

Babar was very animated as his bowlers failed to execute the plans. On the final ball, when Haris Rauf bowled a low full toss to get hit for a boundary, Babar lost his cool as the game headed into the super over. 

 

ALSO READ: Azam Khan gives spectator a death stare for heckling him after golden duck against USA; watch video

Pakistan’s record in super over

This was Pakistan's first defeat to a non-Test playing nation. Also, it was the third time out of four times they have faced a defeat in games that were tied. Two of them were in super overs whereas India beat them in now-defunct bowl out in the inaugural edition of T20 World Cup.
 

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