Asia Cup: Pakistan ‘good but not a champion team’, says Shadab after seesaw thriller against Afghanistan

Vice Captain Shadab Khan argues that despite fighting their way into Sunday’s Asia Cup final against Sri Lanka, Pakistan are “good but not a champion team” and need to learn how to manage pressure.

In the 20th over of Pakistan’s match against Afghanistan on Wednesday, the fast bowler and tailender Naseem Shah smashed two consecutive sixes to put his team over the finish line.

Pakistan was chasing 130 to win, but they kept losing wickets, including Shadab, for 36, to go down to 118-9. Then, with four balls remaining, Naseem’s brilliant strokework gave them an exciting one-wicket triumph in Sharjah.

The T20 World Cup will being held in Australia in October and November, and Shadab has cautioned his Pakistani players that there is still work to be done.

“I believe that under pressure, a strong squad shouldn’t crumble like this, particularly after I made a careless shot. Shadab, who was defeated by leg-spinner Rashid Khan, stated, “I was well set and should have finished the match.”

 

“As I said at the beginning of the competition, our objective is to become champions; we are a terrific squad. Hopefully, we’ll address this and make an effort to learn from our errors.

The young player Naseem stepped up when his team needed him and could have to do so again in the future, according to Shadab, who was awarded man of the match and returned numbers of 1-27 with his leg-spin.

“Our bowlers have been elevated to bat a little by our management because you never know what may happen during a game. “Our bowlers are also capable of winning games with the bat,” he said.

“I thought I could hit sixes when I came in to bat,” the 19-year-old Naseem said. I worked on this. They would bowl yorkers, I knew that. I just tried and did it.

Afghanistan and pre-tournament favorites India were eliminated from the six-nation Asia Cup as a consequence of the outcome.

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