Gary Kirsten Blames On ‘Decision Making’ After Pakistan’s Narrow T20 World Cup 2024 Defeat To India
With two losses in as many games, Pakistan are at the bottom of Group A while India sit atop the table with maximum points from two games.
New York: Newly-appointed Pakistan coach Gary Kirsten had no hesitation in admitting that they let the game slip at the end against India on Sunday in the T20 World Cup 2024. With this defeat, Pakistan are yet to lodge any points from their two matches so far and are on the verge of elimination from the group stage. On the other hand, India sit atop Group A with four points from two games.
After restricting India for a below-par 119 all out, Pakistan were very much in the game until the 12th over with 72/2 on the board. However, the pace combination of the ever-effective Jasprit Bumrah (3/14) and Hardik Pandya (2/24) brought India back from the dead with incisive spells that saw Pakistan lose wickets in a heap to end at 113/7 in 20 overs.
The equation came down to 18 off the last six balls and Arshdeep Singh held his nerve to defend it and ensure another famous win for India over Pakistan on the world stage. While Hardik used the short ball well, Bumrah got rid of a well-set Rizwan in the 15th over before dismissing Iftikhar Ahmed in the 19th over that went for just three runs.
“(We) let it slip at the end,” admitted Kirsten during the post-match press conference. “Some maybe not-so-great decision making when you’ve got the game on, it’s (at) a run-a-ball, eight wickets in hand, (it was) decision making at that point and that’s the game.
“I think we had the game at 76/2, with six or seven overs left at that point, so (it’s) disappointing not to get across the line from the position we got ourselves into,” added the South African, who guide India to 2011 ODI World Cup title. He was also the Gujarat Titans mentor for the past three years before joining Pakistan.
With two more matches to go, Pakistan desperately need to victories and also pray that USA lose both their remaining games to stand a chance to make it to the Super 8 stage. “We probably gave away 10 or 15 runs at the end that we shouldn’t have,” Kirsten continued.
“Those small, little attention to details can make a massive difference. We had that game for 35 of the 40 overs. These guys are all international players and they’re aware that when they’re not performing at their best that there’s going to be pressure put on them,” he said.
“A lot of these guys have played a lot of T20 cricket around the world over many, many years and it’s really up to them to decide how they’re going to take their games forward. So, if you’re not up to it and you’re not improving, you’re going to get found out somewhere.”
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