USA pacer Ali Khan attributed their historic T20 World Cup 2024 win against Pakistan to the latter's underestimation and lack of intent.
Pakistan set a target of 160 runs in Dallas, which the USA matched. The thrilling match extended into a Super Over where the USA scored 18-1, while Pakistan managed only 13-1, ultimately losing by five runs.
Reflecting on the victory, Ali Khan emphasized that the USA's belief was stronger and criticized Pakistan for playing cautiously, especially in the power play.
"Our belief was bigger than theirs. I think Pakistan took us lightly. It was their first game, and they hadn't played on that ground before, while we've played there often,” Khan stated on a YouTube channel.
Khan pointed out that Pakistan was unfamiliar with the conditions, whereas the USA was well-prepared.
"We were used to the conditions. When they started batting, we didn't see intent from them, and they batted very slowly in the powerplay. Yes, Rizwan got out early, but we didn't see much intent after that. Fakhar Zaman hit a six and showed some intent, but luckily, I got him out. Pakistan didn't play attacking cricket and went into their shell,” he added.
Pakistan's back-to-back losses diminished their chances of reaching the Super 8, leaving them reliant on the USA losing to Ireland.
However, the USA-Ireland match was rained out, with both teams awarded a point, ending Pakistan’s World Cup campaign.
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