Spirited performances throughout the Asia Cup gave great joy to fans across the country, other than Afridi, Fawad Alam also made the headlines after three years in the wilderness. PHOTO: AFP
Pakistan may have failed to retain their Asia Cup title but the men in green have won the hearts of millions of fans across the country.
A rapturous welcome was given to a group of players and team officials on their return from Bangladesh at Karachi’s Jinnah Terminal Airport on Sunday.
The group included four Karachi-bound players – Shahid Afridi, Fawad Alam, Anwar Ali and Sharjeel Khan along with head coach Moin Khan, chief consultant Zaheer Abbas and fielding coach Shoaib Mohammad.
In a rare instance in recent times, hundreds of fans gathered at the airport lounge to welcome the players, holding placards chanting slogans of ‘Pakistan Zindabad’ – and in favour of Afridi and Alam who scored an unbeaten ton in the final.
Misbahul Haq’s side lost the final to Sri Lanka by five wickets, in what turned out to be an error filled display by the defending champions.
But the national team sparked enough thrill earlier in the league phase with dramatic turnarounds in crunch matches against arch-rivals India and the hosts.
We tried our best to win final: Afridi
Meanwhile, Afridi one of the main performers for the team in the competition said that players gave their best to retain the Asia Cup.
“We gave our best shot in the final,” Afridi told reporters at the airport.
“There is room for improvement in all departments including bowling and batting,” said the charismatic player before adding that the team’s moral was high before the World Twenty20.
Pakistan team deserves respect: Akram
Former captain Wasim Akram who also returned from Bangladesh after a commentary assignment termed Pakistan’s performance in the event commendable.
“Pakistan team deserves praise for its performance,” said the legendary fast bowler.
“I really enjoyed their approach and brand of cricket in the tournament.”
Meanwhile, an overjoyed fan commented: “Our team’s performance proves that our golden era is not far away,” he said.
“We expect such a fighting performance from team, irrespective of the results. The team has won our hearts especially with the win over India.”
The rest of the Pakistan squad is scheduled to return to Lahore today.
Ajmal, Hafeez retain top rankings
Star spinner Saeed Ajmal and Mohammad Hafeez maintained their top rankings as the International Cricket Council issued the latest One Day Internationals rankings after the conclusion of the Asia Cup.
In the bowling rankings, the top three positions remained unchanged with South Africa’s Dale Steyn and Sunil Narine of the West Indies following the Pakistan ace on second and third positions respectively.
India’s spinner Ravindra Jadeja took a giant leap and improved four positions to win fifth spot replacing Englishman James Anderson. Another England bowler Steven Finn is on the fourth spot.
Mohammad Hafeez consolidated his top position in the all-rounders’ list with 417 points. Sri Lanka captain Angelo Mathews jumped to second replacing Bangladesh’s Shakibul Hasan with 373 points. Behind Shakib, are Jadeja and Shane Watson of Australia on fourth and fifth position.
In the batting ranking, Pakistan captain Misbahul Haq dropped to the tenth place, after failing to reach double figures in three matches in the tournament. Virat Kohli who led India in the event reclaimed top spot with AB de Villiers falling to second spot.
Umar Akmal burst into top twenty club, claiming 19th position after leapfrogging six places. Ahead of him is opener Ahmed Shahzad who improved four positions for 17th position.
Sri Lankan cricketers return to Colombo
Asia Cup champions Sri Lanka returned to Colombo on Sunday after regaining the continental title. The winners were given a warm welcome by adoring fans; Sri Lankan Sports Minister Mahindananda Aluthgamage was also present on the occasion.
The Sri Lankan team had an immensely satisfying tour of Bangladesh; they won the Test, One Day and Twenty20 series with the hosts before their unbeaten run in the Asia Cup.
The win in Mirpur in the final against Pakistan gave them their fifth win in the event; both India and Sri Lanka have now won the event five times, with Pakistan winning the event twice.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 10th, 2014.
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COMMENTS (37)
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Well done Pakistan, welll done lala you have been a great entertainer
@ria: Yes. There are quite a lot of what ifs. What if afridi shot was a perfect shot. What if there was a ladder next to the boundary so that the fielder could stop the six. What if ashwin had bowled a doosra. Or better a teesra. What if junaid khan had not taken a single. Keep wondering!
People calling these loosers heroes which is not justified. Poor fileding, poor bowling, poor wicket keeping and slow batting and lack of innovation and lack of creativity on part of captain are the major causes of defeat. Pakistan should learn these mistakes instead of repeating the same mistakes in future games.
Winning or Losing is part of the game! We should celebrate the fact that the team played really well, it was much needed after their terrible performance in the champions trophy!!! I support our team wholeheartedly win or lose!
@khan - i wish you use some brain but wait you have name khan....aaaanyhow - better ask same question to top order batsman who made Malinga look unplayable and threw their wickets. After first 5 overs; Pak was never in the game.
@Ch. Allah Daad: We have already got Afirdi in politics. Unfortunately he couldn't make it as President so he settled with becoming Prime Minister....
@ria: Also note that BCCI has been running the whole ICC since last decade and making these useless rankings which always prefer Indian rankings (just see the number of away series which India lost)... and also note that Pakistan has beaten India about 70 times, whereas India has beaten Pakistan about 50 times... and also note that you need burnol for your wounds after being beaten by Pakistan LOL
No body is talking about why Misbag choosed to bat after winning the toss.When the team had succesfull chased and won two previos matches Pakistan lost the matcg as Soon Misbah elacted to bat first.
Welcome home, Greens. Well done Afridi. And thanks Fawad, for the moustache
If Misbah was not thinking right, Afridi could have asked him to send him ahead of Akmal. As a senior most player he had a right to demand it for the benefit of the team and country. In form batsmen always suggest their captain to change their batting order. Actually he did not want to ruin his false image which he had created in hitting two sixes. His stupid fans do not know but he knows his abilities very well. He knew that he could not repeat his performance too often. Its only once after dozen matches.
we need sensible bowlers, we dont need Gul who takes wickets in one match and gets hammered for five matches. And we dont need senseless bowlers like Talha who bowl lolli pop deliveries. And we should sack this useless coach Akram. I am sure we have enough young talented fast bowlers in Pakistan. Why not give them a chance.
If only poor Misbah could understand that he was the reason for the loss because of his turtle approach of slow scoring, it was not a 260 pitch, its was minimum 325 pitch. I know the team was 15/3 but what international class player are you if you can score a run a ball forget about hitting 4s and 6s initially. Look at Ricky Ponting or Gilchrist how they used to attack when they used to be in pressure. I remember 2003 WC match when Aus were 5 down for some 080 odd runs and Symonds tore apart Akhtar, Waseem and Waqar, that is called agrression. But Misbah wont understand it.
@Ch. Allah Daad: Horrible comment. Your political comments are just as woeful and unconvincing.
finally pakistan could beat india in an important event....had they lost they would have said match fixing....... and pakistan has won asia cup only twice......plus pakistan's luck was evident from the fact that they were easily outdone by sri lanka...........hitting six that too not timed properly gave pak a win coz boundary was too short.... just a lousy win....dats all.. also note pakistan is nowhere near the top ranking in any format of the game....haha :)
@khan: at the end of the day fawad strike rate was 85 we lost because our top three did not scored and because of poor bowling
@Ch. Allah Daad: get a life Bro, you are such a stupid commentator I have ever seen on this site.
give me a break. Celebrating loss in final.
P@Thinker: Look who is talking. The obsession of Indians with Pakistan is evident from the number of Indian trolls on this website. Just shows how obsessed you are with Pakistan.
@Zack: Nation has woken up already my friend. Yes it's good to win all the time but if you give your best shot then people should not complain. The moral of the story is you win some and you lose some. Stay positive
@Ch. Allah Daad: Cry baby... Its ok your time will come (not)!!!
@Ch. Allah Daad: I think you should not poke your little nose in matters on which you don’t have knowledge. I never seen as single positive comment from you. Why you always criticizing others.
@Ch. Allah Daad:I think you should not poke your little nose in matters on which you dont have knowledge. I never seen a single positve comment from you. Why you always crisitizing.
Welcome back The Heroes!
You proved your fighting spirits. There was some innovation missing in the captaincy, that is needed to be improved.
We also congratulate Sri Lankans from the depths of our hearts on their true display of performance. They were very much deserving the win especially due to the fact that they reached the finals of the last four global tournaments and lost.
Afghanistan team is very much talented and spirited. We wish them success in future.
Indians only play good in their favorable conditions / umpiring / bowling, they are neither stars nor players of big matches.
welcome heroes for losing final. When this nation wake up?????
@Ch. Allah Daad: We would have lost the two matches if there was no Afridi, then there would be no question of us playing the final anyways.
@Imtiaz:
You show signs of being a genius! Please tell on how Afridi would play against the new ball if comes at no. 1.
Yes, I'm being sarcastic.
@ Jj: i love the way you think and i think this is the reason you country is progressing in every fireld be it education, international relations, economy, internal security because your thinking doesnt go beyond india's aura.
Welcome heroes! As long as you have the determination to win, there is always next time.
@ch. Allah Daad
I see its still hurting
Captain Misbah has no foresightedness. He should send Afridi to bat 1 down or 2 down. In case if he given a chance to play 30 balls then the situation might change in the shape Pakistan wiining the Asia cup.
Yes..they deserve it...the Captaincy needs an imaginative Captain, not one who is on AutoPilot!! Unimaginative approach cost us the final....Umar Gul looked unfit, why did he play? Talha bowled as if it was Australian wicket...no guidance from Captain as to whereheshould bowl...After Saeed Ajamal broke through, he was changed, then given bowl after30overs....stupid captaincy...retain Misbah as player not as captain....prepare Ahmed Shahzad as new Captain
They beat INDIA we won ASIA CUP........GEO GREEN SHIRTS.
Our guys are indeed heroes. Coincidentally, Sri Lankan players also return to heroes' welcome (http://www.espncricinfo.com/asia-cup-2014/content/current/story/726605.html). Both teams are heroes. We love both teams, especially because they have one really important thing in common: they are not the Indian team. This is an extremely important point, and we all know that our victory against India is the solution to all the economic, sociological, and culinary problems we face in today's hostile global environment. And stuff.
Afridi hit two sixes against a spinner at one of the smallest grounds and few more against C class team. He should be made President of Pakistan.
when we have FAWAD ALAM we always loose, becuase of him in final we lost he palyed slow and wasted many balls; he should be not in T20 squad.