Legendary cricketer and former prime minister Imran Khan was in awe of Pakistan’s fast bowling attack, which he believed gave it all during the T20 World Cup final loss against England on Sunday.
Babar Azam’s men pushed England all the way at the Melbourne Cricket Ground but fell to a heartbreaking loss with six balls to spare after posting a below-par 138-run target against a star-studded batting line-up.
The team suffered a blow when pace spearhead Shaheen Afridi was injured after landing awkwardly on his knee while taking a catch to dismiss England batter Harry Brook, an impact that eventually forced him to abort his spell in the 15th over.
Talking about the team’s performance today, former skipper Imran — who led Pakistan to their maiden World Cup victory in 1992 — said that winning and losing was a part of the game.
“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.”
Pakistan, Imran said, gave it their all and kept trying till the last bowl. “But what is not in your hands […] the way Shaheen Afridi was injured, no one can do anything about that.
“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,” he added.
The former all-rounder urged the nation to congratulate the team for reaching the final.
“I especially want to say that our fast-bowling attack […] from what I saw today […] is the best fast-bowling attack in the world,” Imran remarked and then prayed for the speedy recovery of Shaheen.
He also said that Pakistan had Babar Azam who was a “world-class batsman” and would leave all the other batters behind.
“Our team right now is among the best teams in the world,” Imran added.
