USA vs Pak T20 World Cup – Babar Azam after defeat to USA: ‘We weren’t at our best’ in bowling

Sent in after losing the toss, Pakistan lost their first three wickets and were 30 for 3 at the end of the powerplay. Babar and Shadab Khan helped them recover by scoring 72 runs in 48 for the fourth wicket but USA tied the game and won the Super Over.

“Today’s wicket was helpful for the fast bowlers in the first six overs,” said Babar during his post-match presentation. “But later on, I didn’t feel it was a different wicket. It was a bit of a let-down. Because the games started at 10.30 in the morning – the fast bowlers will get a little help. There was juice on the pitch early in the morning and they took advantage of that and made their plan.

“Even in the second innings, I think we also got some help, but we weren’t up to the standard of bowling. We were short in the first ten overs. We came back after that but they already took the ball. But if we look at the bowlers we have, we should have protected that team, I think that was the total we could have protected from bowling ours.

“We are better than this in bowling. We didn’t take wickets in the first six overs. In the middle overs, if your spinner doesn’t take wickets, the pressure is on you. After ten overs, we came back but I think the way they finished the game in the Super Over, credit going to the American team.”

“He [Amir] he is an experienced bowler,” said Babar. “He knows how to bowl and we were trying to bowl according to the pitch. But I think the US batsmen were brilliant. Even when the ball went to the goalkeeper, they were running. So I think that was a good point for them in the Super Over.”

At the same time, Babar also felt bad for not using the platform that Shadab had set for him. They had taken Pakistan to 98 for 4 in the 13th over but left-arm spinner Nosthush Kenjige removed Shadab and Azam Khan off successive balls to tie them up again.

“In the first six overs, the ball was catching a bit and spinning,” said Babar. “So it was important to build a partnership. When Shadab and I had a partnership, we had momentum. I think when we lost wickets and went back, that was a turning point. The momentum we had shifted to the other side.”

“It was difficult at the beginning, but we closed it. But as a professional team, the middle order needs to step up in such situations. This is not the reason – I don’t think they played well, I think we played badly.”

Did Pakistan, runners-up in the 2022 edition, take the USA for granted?

“You see, whenever you come to any tournament, you always prepare the best,” said Babar. “You can say it’s a kind of mentality. When you face a team like this, you relax a little bit. If you don’t succeed in your plan against any team, any team, it will make you pay. I believe that our output was not up to a high level, we were doing well in preparation but in the game, we did not execute our plans as a team.