Pakistanis praise Green Shirts despite Australia dash T20 World Cup hopes

Australia dashed Pakistan's hopes of making it to the Twenty20 World Cup final as Matthew Wade and Marcus Stoinis stood unbeaten in a six-hitting feast to lead Aussies into the Twenty20 World Cup final.

Chasing 177 for victory, Australia were in trouble at 96-5 when Stoinis (40) and Wade, who hit the winning six in his 41, put on 81 runs to finish off the match with one over to spare in Dubai.

Left-handed Wade was dropped by Hasan Ali on 21 and then smashed three straight sixes off Shaheen Shah Afridi in the 19th over to set up a title clash with New Zealand in Dubai on Sunday.

Despite the defeat, Pakistani cricket fans belonging to all walks of life including Prime Minister Imran Khan lauded the overall performance of Green Shirts in the T20 World Cup.

“To Babar Azem and the team. I know exactly how all of you are feeling right now because I have faced similar disappointments on the cricket field. But you should all be proud of the quality of cricket you played and the humility you showed in your wins. Congratulations Team Australia,” PM Imran said in a tweet from his official handle.

President Arif Ali said: “Green Shirts you played well but lost. Congratulations to Australia. A good game of cricket.”

PML-N President and Opposition Leader in the National Assembly Shehbaz Sharif echoed the similar sentiments.

“Great game of cricket… boys in green played brilliantly throughout the tournament… Pakistan Zindabad!”

Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Rameez Raja said: “You [Pakistan team] have united the land truly and you have refreshed it’s mood with promise. We thank you and we are proud the way you fought. Well done boys.”

British High Commissioner to Pakistan Christian Turner expressed his love for the Pakistan team in a tweet in Urdu said .“Match chaahay haar gaye par dil jeet liya [Despite losing match, you have won the heart]. Well played Pakistan Team! Looking forward to a #PakVsEng tour now.”

Former Pakistani cricket player Yasir Shah expressed solidarity with the Pakistani team. “Victory and defeat are part of life, which are to be viewed with equanimity. We are proud of you boys. No matter what happens you were and still are the best team.”

Pakistan Cricket Team captain Babar Azam said, “Keep the head high, team. You were impressive and played like true champions. We will definitely learn from this experience and come back stronger, In sha Allah. Extremely proud of my pack.”

(With input from agencies)