Pakistan legend Wasim Akram said that Bangladesh had only themselves to blame for their loss to Pakistan on Sunday, adding that if he was the Bangladesh coach or captain, he would make sure that the players see psychologists.
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“Bangladesh have to blame themselves. They should. If I was a captain of Bangladesh team or the coach of Bangladesh team, I will make sure these guys see psychologists. Because at one stage, Shanto was on 54 and things were going well then. They were 73 for 2 and I thought they’ll get to 160. But then Shanto stepped out and played a weird shot off Iftikhar and was bowled. If you had kept on taking singles, the score would have reached 155,” a visibly disappointed Akram said.
He also said that the Bangladesh batters should have played Shaheen Afridi’s bowling a little carefully. “In an international level, when you see a certain bowler was coming to bowl and you know that the opposition captain has brought him to take wickets, that’s where you don’t play a shot. You try to rotate the strike in that particular over but the Bangladesh players made up their minds to hit him and hit Shaheen only,” the former Pakistan captain said.
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Earlier in the day, Pakistan qualified for the semifinals of the T20 World Cup after defeating Bangladesh by five wickets. In their high-stake last Super 12 match, Pakistan rode on Shaheen Afridi’s four for 22, his career-best T20I figures, to first restrict Bangladesh to 127 for eight and then chased down the target in 11 balls to spare.
Opting to bat, Bangladesh opener Najmul Hossain Shanto made 54, while Afif Hossain remained unbeaten on 24. Later, Pakistan chased down the target with consummate ease, reaching 128 for five in 18.1 overs. Mohammad Rizwan made a run-a-ball 32, while Mohammad Haris scored an 18-ball 31.
