Pakistan Coach Kirsten Criticizes Team After T20 WC Loss to India

Pakistan faced a second consecutive defeat in the T20 World Cup 2024, losing to India by 6 wickets on Sunday. This result jeopardizes Pakistan's chances of qualifying for the Super 8. Head coach Gary Kirsten acknowledged that the players are under immense self-imposed pressure.

Jasprit Bumrah's economical three-wicket haul applied pressure on the Pakistan batters, and Rishabh Pant's counter-attacking, match-saving innings helped India secure a narrow victory at a packed Nassau County Stadium. This win keeps India's World Cup hopes alive with two more group stage matches remaining.

In the post-match press conference, Kirsten stated, "The players are aware that underperformance leads to pressure. However, many of these players have extensive T20 experience globally and need to manage their game better."

Kirsten commented on the playing surface, mentioning it wasn't dangerous, though some balls rose sharply. "It generally kept a little lower and scoring was difficult due to a slow outfield. A score of 140 would have been competitive. India didn't reach that, so I thought we had a chance. The game was always going to be tight, and it's not always about high-scoring games. An entertaining game can also be a 120 chase."

He added that the strategy while chasing was to find occasional boundaries, capitalize on loose deliveries, and rotate the strike effectively. "It's a disappointing loss. Chasing 120 was never going to be easy, but we had the game at 72 for 2 with six or seven overs left. It's disappointing not to win from that position."

Kirsten questioned the team's decision-making during crucial moments. "Poor decisions cost us the game. In international cricket, such mistakes are costly. Rizwan played well, and we managed the chase until we let it slip in the end."

He emphasized the importance of strike rotation on such surfaces. "Sometimes, it's fun to watch a game focused on using 120 balls effectively rather than just hitting boundaries. We managed for 15 overs but lost the plot in the end."

Kirsten praised the bowlers, calling them one of the best units in overs 10 to 20. However, he expressed concern over losing too many wickets. "We have four fantastic seamers, and Imad Wasim bowled well today. If we bowl like this, we’ll be tough to beat. But we need to structure our innings better."

He highlighted the partnership between Shadab Khan and Babar Azam in the previous game against the USA, which saved the team from 26 for 3. "We are losing too many wickets. Players must take responsibility when given the opportunity."