DHAKA, NOV 13: Fast bowler Hasan Ali, whose costly mistake in the field allowed Matthew Wade to secure Australia’s thrilling victory in the Twenty20 World Cup semi-final, spoke on Saturday about his failure to meet his fans’ expectations and vowed to come back stronger.
Having conceded 44 runs in four wicketless overs, Hasan had more disappointment to face in the dramatic closing stages of the see-saw match at the Dubai International Stadium.
With Australia needing 22 runs off the last two overs, Wade took a wild swing at Shaheen Shah Afridi’s third ball and sent a skier towards Hasan who spilled the catch on the leg-side.
Wade responded by hitting three sixes in a row to complete an excellent chase against the tournament’s form side.
Many on Twitter had blamed Hasan’s spilled chance for their World Cup miss after coming into the semi-final unbeaten and favourites.
Regretting the dropped catch, Ali tweeted on Saturday: “I know you all are upset because my performance didn’t meet your expectations … but [you] are not more disappointed than me.”
“Don’t change your expectations from me. I want to serve [the] Pakistan cricket at the highest level possible, so back to hard work,” he added. This patch will make stronger.”
He ended the tweet by thanking his supporters and fans for their messages and prayers.
Babar Azam backs Hasan Ali
Earlier, Pakistan skipper Babar Azam had supported Hasan Ali, describing him as “a fighter” who would bounce back from dropping the catch off Matthew Wade in a key moment of the semi-final.
“If the catch was taken then the scenario would have been different but it is part of the game,” Babar has told reporters.
“He (Ali) is one of my main bowlers and he has won many matches for Pakistan. Players drop catches but he is a fighter and I will back him,” Azam had added.
“Everybody doesn’t perform every day. There is a day when one performs. It was just not his day. He is down and we will lift his mood.”
