Vice-captain Shadab Khan thinks Pakistan are “decent but not a champion squad” and must handle pressure better after struggling into Sunday’s Asia Cup final against Sri Lanka. Pakistan vs. Afghanistan, Asia Cup 2022.
After struggling to Sunday’s Asia Cup final against Sri Lanka, vice-captain Shadab Khan feels Pakistan are “decent but not a champion squad” and must handle pressure better. Naseem Shah’s two consecutive sixes at the start of the 20th over on Wednesday against Afghanistan were crucial in helping Pakistan defeat their opponent.
Pakistan needed to score 130 runs to win, but they continued losing wickets, including Shadab for 36, and fell to 118-9 until Naseem’s brilliant innings gave them a thrilling one-wicket victory in Sharjah with four balls remaining.
The competition serves as a warm-up for the T20 World Cup, which will take place in Australia in October–November. Shadab told his Pakistani team that there is still work to be done.
“A good team shouldn’t, in my opinion, fall apart under pressure like this, especially after I made a hasty shot. I was well set and should have finished the match,” said Shadab, who fell to leg-spinner Rashid Khan.
“We are a good team, but not a champion squad, as I stated at the beginning of the competition, and that is what we are aiming for. Hopefully, we’ll work on this and make an effort to learn from our errors.”
Shadab, who was chosen man of the match and also returned numbers of 1-27 with his leg-spin, noted that the teenager Naseem stood up when his team needed him and may need to do so once more in the future.
“Because you never know what may happen in a game, our management has encouraged our bowlers to bat a little bit. Our bowlers are equally capable of using the bat to win games “said he.
Naseem, who is 19 years old, added: “I believed I could hit sixes when I went to bat. I work on this. They would bowl yorkers, I knew that. I merely tried and did.”
Afghanistan and pre-tournament favourites India were eliminated from the six-nation Asia Cup as a result of the outcome.
On Thursday night in Dubai, they play a dead-rubber match against one another.
