Following Pakistan's shocking defeat in the T20 World Cup 2024 against United States of America (USA), former Indian cricketer Yuvraj Singh questioned the team for not giving the strike to experienced Fakhar Zaman in the Super Over.
USA outclassed a shaky Pakistan, by restricting them to 159, and then produced a clinical batting performance led by skipper Monank Patel, to tie the scores, taking the game to a Super Over.
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The co-hosts managed to make 18 runs off their Super Over despite scoring just a single boundary, thanks to Pakistan being careless by giving away extras and overthrows.
When it came time for Pakistan to chase in the Super Over, we saw the right-hander Iftikhar Ahmed being preferred to take the strike over left-handed Fakhar Zaman, a decision which the Indian southpaw went on to question in the post-match.
Should Fakhar Zaman have taken strike for Pakistan during the Super Over against USA?
After the conclusion of the match at Dallas, where Pakistan lost to the associates USA in the Super Over, Yuvraj Singh took to X, questioning the team's tactics to not give the strike to left hander Fakhar Zaman against left-arm pacer, Saurabh Netravalkar.
I don’t understand why dint @FakharZamanLive take strike to a lefty seamer - when it is easier for a left hander to hit through the angle that bowler is tryin to create
— Yuvraj Singh (@YUVSTRONG12) June 6, 2024
Nonetheless have to give it #TeamUSA @usacricket for making smart decisions under pressure specially the…
The two-time World Cup winner from India suggested that Fakhar would have found it easier to hit against the angle created by the left-arm pacer, as a left-handed batter, over Iftikhar Ahmed.
While Fakhar is an experienced batter, Iftikhar is a better-known finisher and whether switching the strike would have made a significant difference is not clear, giving that Netravalkar has been a reliable standout bowler, both in the powerplay and at the death overs for his team.
A quick comparison between Fakhar and Iftikhar's matchups recently against left-pacers, however, suggests that Pakistan made the right choice and without any hindsight, needed the six hitting of the finisher in the Super Over.
| Player | Balls Faced | Average | Strike Rate | Fours | Sixes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fakhar Zaman | 88 | 25.2 | 129 | 10 | 3 |
| Iftikhar Ahmed | 98 | 40 | 204 | 14 | 15 |
Further the former Indian allrounder went on to credit the USA team and especially their skipper, Monank Patel for making smart decisions under pressure.
Yuvraj further added that it is going to be a must-win match for Pakistan when they take on India at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium in New York on June 9.
He noted that India will start as favourites against Pakistan due to their strong start in the tournament, after beating Ireland by 8 wickets in their opening match of the T20 World Cup 2024.
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