Pakistani seamer Naseem Shah spoke up over his team’s loss to India in the previous T20 World Cup 2024. Pakistan failed to chase down 119 runs in New York and lost by 7 runs.
India batted first after losing the toss and labored to 119 runs, with Rishabh Pant leading the way with 42 and Akshar Patel hitting 20. Naseem Shah claimed three wickets for Pakistan.
During the chase, Pakistan was in a strong position at 80/3 with Mohammad Rizwan in the middle. They needed 40 runs off 36 balls with 7 wickets, but then Jasprit Bumrah and Indian bowlers choked the Men in Green hitters.
In the end, Pakistan finished on 113/7 and lost the game by 7 runs, despite a cameo by Naseem Shah, who scored 10*.
Naseem opened up on the emotions after that match and said many things flashed in front of him after the defeat.
“There are a lot of emotions attached with such matches. I did not expect [the result to turn out how it did]. There are some things that you keep to yourself. A lot had pent-up and a lot of things flashed in front of me at that point… There have been very few moments in life when I have felt the need to have someone who can talk positively to me,” Naseem said on Cricbuzz.
This defeat almost ensured that Pakistan would be eliminated from the group stage itself, which happened as the Men in Green lost to the USA earlier. Pakistan did beat Canada, but their game against Ireland was washed out, sending them crashing out T20 World Cup
Even my relatives have asked about it: Naseem Shah on constant criticism after loss to India
The team was subjected to considerable scrutiny following that game, which effectively eliminated them from the tournament. Naseem Shah stated that he couldn’t handle the criticism longer.
“Though I was not being targeted by the fans or the media, one cannot be satisfied and say I did my bit after your team loses. I am a person who wants to win. I get disappointed even when I lose while playing at home or in my street. I play to win and the World Cup exit pained me a lot,” he added.
“People come up to me in restaurants and ask me why we lost. Even my relatives have asked about it. I understand their sentiments are driven by social media and, as a player, all I can do is listen to them,” he further added.
Naseem admitted that the tough losses and criticism inspired him to improve and make a return.
“There are times when you feel that you cannot put up with it anymore. But, it also burns a desire for a comeback. People had many questions to ask and there was a lot of frustration in them, which is understandable. Now, we have an opportunity to win the hearts again by playing good cricket,” he stated.
Naseem will be in action when Pakistan takes on Bangladesh in the first of two Tests in Rawalpindi starting August 21.
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