T20 World Cup: Wasim Akram criticises Pakistan's performance against USA as ‘pathetic’

Former Pakistan pacer Wasim Akram did not hold back in expressing his disappointment over Pakistan's dismal performance in their T20 World Cup opener against the USA on June 6 in Dallas.

The match ended in a surprising defeat for Pakistan, shocking fans and experts alike.

In an exclusive interview with a local sports channel, Wasim Akram labelled the Men in Green's performance as "pathetic."

"Pathetic performance. Winning and losing is a part of the game. But you need to fight till the last ball. It was a bad day for Pakistan cricket," Akram said.

Akram further elaborated on the challenges Pakistan now faces in the tournament.

"Pakistan will struggle from here onwards to qualify for the Super Eight because they have to play India (on June 9) and two more good teams (Ireland and Canada)," he said.

Highlighting the turning point of the game, Akram noted, "The turning point of the game was the way USA got early wickets. Pakistan had a little partnership between Babar and Shadab, and then nobody turned up. The fielding was below average, the overall cricket by Pakistan was average."

The 58-year-old also reflected on the unexpected turn of events during the match, highlighting his and the fans' initial confidence in Pakistan's chances.

"While playing against USA, I was confident, every Pakistan supporter was confident that they would win after the way they played in the first innings," he said. "In the second innings, they (USA) came out to chase... I mean getting 19 runs in the Super Over is like getting 36 runs in a Super Over. Well done USA," he added.