T20 World Cup 2021: "Wrong to target one player" - Harbhajan Singh urges fans to not target Hasan Ali for Pakistan's semi-final defeat
Pakistan's Hasan Ali was targeted by a certain section of fans after the Men in Green suffered a loss against Australia in the T20 World Cup 2021 semi-final. The Aussies chased down a target of 177 with an over to spare to make it to the final against New Zealand.
Ali received plenty of flak for dropping Matthew Wade's catch in the 19th over of the run-chase, which ultimately cost Pakistan a place in the summit clash. India's veteran spinner Harbhajan Singh has come out in support of the pacer after he was mercilessly trolled following Pakistan's devastating five-wicket loss.
Speaking about the matter on his YouTube channel, Singh noted that players do tend to drop catches on several occasions in such high-pressure matches. The seasoned campaigner believes the online attack on the player and his family was uncalled for. He also urged fans not to repeat this kind of behavior.
Furthermore, he also pointed out that the dropped catch was not the only reason for Pakistan's defeat. Here's what Harbhajan Singh said:
"Forget which country Hasan Ali belongs too. He is a player after all and giving his best. It is also wrong to involve his family and target them after the loss. He is also a human being after all and mistakes happen by humans only. Wrong to target one player, there were other mistakes too."
Many fans identified Hasan Ali as the weakest link for the Pakistan cricket team in the T20 World Cup 2021. The bowler had another ordinary outing against Australia and was the most expensive bowler for the Babar Azam-led side in the all-important fixture.
While the right-armer failed to pick up a single wicket in the game, he conceded 44 runs from his full quota of four overs. To make matters worse, Ali also gave Matthew Wade a repreive off Shaheen Afridi's bowling with Australia needing 20 from 10 balls to win. Wade then slammed three successive sixes to take his side to a stunning victory.
Cometh the hour, cometh the man 🇦🇺
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"Mohammad Rizwan takes the pressure off Babar Azam" - Harbhajan Singh praises Pakistan opener
Harbhajan Singh lauded wicketkeeper-batsman Mohammad Rizwan for his superlative performances at the top of the order at this year's ICC event. He reckoned that with his counter-attacking approach, Rizwan made things easier for his opening partner Babar Azam. The former Indian off-spinner said:
"Mohammad Rizwan batted outstandingly throughout the tournament. I think he is the main reason why Babar Azam can afford to play freely as well. Rizwan takes the pressure off Azam with his aggressive batting. That is one of the reasons for Azam's success in the shortest format."
Singh, in the video, also admitted that the Pakistan cricket team have played exceptionally well in the T20 World Cup 2021. He credited former coach Misbah-ul-Haq for roping the likes of Rizwan into the side. The 41-year-old reckoned it was Misbah who built the side while at the helm of the team.
Watch the full video here: