Picture Credit: Twitter
Pakistan fast bowler Hassan Ali who did not have a great outing in the team's T20 World Cup semifinal against Australia has issued a public statement post that match. Notably, Hasan had conceded 44 runs in 4 overs other than dropping the catch of Matthew Wade as Pakistan succumbed to a 5-wicket defeat despite dominating much of the proceedings.
In his social media message, he wrote that no one was more disappointed than him but he urged his fans to not change his expectations from him. There were also reports of Hasan being abused online as fans were disappointed with his performance with Pakistan getting knocked out of the competition after having been unbeaten in the tournament till then.
"I know you all are upset because my performance didn't meet your expectations but not more disappointed than me. Don't change your expectations from me. I want to serve Pakistan cricket at the highest level possible, so back to hard work. This patch will make me stronger. Thank you for all the messages, tweets, posts, calls and duas (prayers) – needed them," Ali tweeted.
Check out his tweet here:
Meanwhile, the 27-year-old has also received support from players and yesteryear Pakistan stars including the great Wasim Akram. Right after the dropped catch in what eventually turned out to be the last over of the match, Shoaib Malik was seen walking up to him and lifting up his spirits.
"You need a wicket you go to Hassan Ali. Keeps your head up," his teammate Haris Rauf tweeted in response to this tweet.
Meanwhile, as Australia set up the final against New Zealand in the competition which is set to commence in a few hours from now, Akram has picked the Aussies as the favourites.
"Australia look very strong, especially after the semi-final win. If you ask me 'who are the favourites for tomorrow'?, I think Australians have an edge for Sunday's final," Akram said while talking to India Today.
He also highlighted that the Australian side were not really favourites when the competition began but their players especially David Warner found form at the right time.