T20 World Cup: Pakistan 'let it slip' in shock Zimbabwe loss, admits Masood
Pakistan batsman Shan Masood admits his side "let it slip" in their shock T20 World Cup loss to Zimbabwe on Thursday.
Having restricted their rivals in Group 2 to 130-8, Babar Azam's side looked poised for a successful chase at Optus Stadium in Perth.
But a momentum-shifting spell with the ball from Sikandar Raza helped turn the match on its head and guide Zimbabwe to a famous upset, leaving Masood to acknowledge Pakistan fell short of their own expectations.
"We are very disappointed," he told BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra. "I don't think we're a batting unit that can't achieve a target of 130.
"We just had to finish the game off. It's very disappointing that, when push came to shove and [the] pressure came on, we let it slip.
"We have to give credit to Zimbabwe, they came out of the blocks quickly. Once you've got that start, however bad you play, you still get to a score that you can fight for."
Raza, the Pakistan-born Zimbabwe all-rounder, produced three wickets and the crucial run-out for the victors, and he admitted he was struggling to put his team's result into context.
"I'm lost for words," he added. "My thoughts are dry and I think that is because of all my emotions. I just can't tell you how proud I am of this group of boys.
"The way the seamers started at the top was unbelievable and the way we backed it up in the field and just kept believing, I don't think there are any words that I can share right now."
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Windies women eye vital win against Bangladesh to keep semi-final hopes alive at T20 World Cup
After an impressive six-wicket win over Scotland, West Indies women will seek to build on that momentum when they take on Bangladesh in a crucial encounter that could define their campaign at the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup in the United Arab Emirates.
The Caribbean side will enter Thursday’s contest knowing that another win would keep their semi-final hopes alive, as they currently sit in third position on two points, two behind leaders South Africa and England on four points each.
The first ball is 9:00am Jamaica time.
West Indies’ victory over Scotland was a much-needed confidence boost for the team, especially after a crushing 10-wicket loss to South Africa in their opening match. The win not only lifted their spirits but also boosted their net run rate, a key factor in determining the semi-final spots should multiple teams finish level on points.
Assistant coach Ryan Austin emphasized the Hayley Matthews-led team’s readiness to handle what promises to be a tricky challenge, as Bangladesh bowlers, particularly their spinners, have proven to be formidable opponents.
“The team is pretty prepared. We obviously know that Bangladesh is basically a spin-based unit, but with our philosophies, we are more focused on what we can control. Having said that, we still have that element of power within our batting that could counter the spin as well,” Austin said in a pre-game press conference.
“If you look at the wicket, they are playing pretty slow at the moment. South Africa today (Wednesday) actually had a good total on the wicket, and if you watch how they batted, they actually used their feet a lot to the spin. So we are looking to obviously go into the game with that sort of temperament mindset with respect to their spin bowling attack as well. Sharjah has almost kind of a two-paced kind of wicket because during the day it's very low and slow, but in the evenings it kind of changes and comes alive,” he added.
Austin exuded confidence in his team’s batting prowess, with the likes of Matthews, Stafanie Taylor, Deandra Dottin, and Shemaine Campbelle expected to play pivotal roles, especially with the group being poised for a tight finish.
Though those proverbial big guns are yet to really fire, Austin believes their true potential should come to the fore in Thursday’s game, as well as the decisive fixture against England. West Indies currently have a positive net run rate of 1.154, only bettered by leaders South Africa, who have 1.527.
“If you look at how our group is set up, net run-rate is really going to be a big factor later down, especially, if we win both games against Bangladesh and England. So one of the things that we really have to look at is how we go about executing, especially in this game against Bangladesh. So our game plan is to at least probably both first and then try to get to our target as fast as possible,” Austin reasoned.