The former head coach stresses the importance of understanding that the team's loss was a collective failure and should not be attributed to any single individual.
KARACHI: (UrduPoint/Pakistan Point News-Sept 18th, 2023) Former head coach Misbah-ul-Haq on Monday stepped forward to defend both captain Babar Azam and all-rounder Shadab Khan following Pakistan's exit from the 2023 Asia Cup after a disappointing defeat.
Misbah while talking to the reporters in Karachi stressed the importance of understanding that the team's loss was a collective failure and should not be attributed to any single individual.
Pakistan's journey in the 2023 Asia Cup came to an end with a 228-run loss to India in the Super Four match and a narrow two-wicket defeat to Sri Lanka in a virtual knockout game. The national team is now shifting its focus to the ICC Men's ODI World Cup 2023, which is scheduled to commence on October 5 in India.
Misbah was of the view, “The captain cannot be solely held responsible for chasing a target of 228 runs. This was a collective team effort, and such setbacks are part of cricket. We need to retrospect and evaluate our performance while strategizing for the upcoming World Cup. Blaming one person is not fair; remember, there are ten other players on the field, as well as the management. This is the same team that had been consistently winning. Mistakes were made, and they need to be rectified,”.
He stated that although the spin department faced challenges in the match, it was crucial not to single out players and lose faith in their abilities. He cautioned against making hasty judgments based on one subpar performance.
“The spin department may have struggled, but that doesn't mean our players lack talent; they can certainly improve. Let's not overreact to one poor performance. Remember, Shadab Khan has delivered strong performances in the past,” he added.
