Shahid Afridi Blasts Pakistan's Poor Performance after Defeat to Australia in 2nd T20I, Claims 'Only a Few...'

In a disappointing turn of events, Pakistan suffered a 13-run loss against Australia in the second T20I match at the Sydney Cricket Ground. Despite chasing a modest target of 148, Pakistan could only manage to score 134 runs before being bowled out. Spencer Johnson proved to be the nemesis for the Pakistani batsmen, as he picked up a five-wicket haul, causing a major collapse in their batting lineup. Star players like Mohammad Rizwan, Babar Azam, and Agha Salman failed to make significant contributions, which ultimately led to Pakistan's downfall in the match.

Former Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi has criticized the team’s performance in the second T20I against Australia, posting his thoughts on his official ‘X’ handle. He emphasized the need for more players to step up when required, drawing a comparison to India’s performance against South Africa in the fourth T20I. Afridi also supported the decision to back Haris Rauf but suggested that Usman Khan and Irfan Khan Niazi could have played pivotal roles in taking the team across the line.

Only a couple of more small but meaningful contributions to back Haris, Usman and Irfan efforts would have taken us over the line in Sydney.
India can revolve around match-winners, like they did in Joburg yesterday, but we will require even contributions from most players if not…

— Shahid Afridi (@SAfridiOfficial) November 16, 2024

Shahid Afridi’s tweet read, “Only a couple of more small but meaningful contributions to back Haris, Usman and Irfan efforts would have taken us over the line in Sydney. India can revolve around match-winners, like they did in Joburg yesterday, but we will require even contributions from most players if not all to succeed consistently in T20Is.”

Pakistan lost the three-match series and will now aim to conclude their tour with a victory in the third T20I. Earlier this year, the team endured several setbacks in the T20I format, suffering defeats against major teams.