“It was a disappointing loss for Pakistan.We are not off to a good start, losing to USA,” Akhtar said in a video posted on his social media handle.
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“Unfortunately, Pakistan never deserved to win because the USA played really well. They were always in the commanding position. (Mohammad) Amir saved the match. Shaheen (Afridi) and Amir tried, but USA were winning over Pakistan for 37 overs. And unfortunately, we couldn’t pull it off.”
The match saw both teams score 159 runs in their allotted 20 overs in a Group A clash. In the ensuing Super Over, the USA batted first, scoring 18 runs against veteran Pakistan bowler Mohammad Amir.
AS IT HAPPENED: USA vs PAK | T20 World Cup
The over was marred by wides and overthrows, contributing to the USA’s competitive total.
India-born paceman Saurabh Netravalkar then bowled a disciplined Super Over for the USA, restricting Pakistan, the 2009 champions and 2022 runners-up, to just 13-1 in response.
Earlier in the match, Netravalkar’s impressive figures of 2-18 helped USA restrict Pakistan to 159-7 in their 20 overs.
The USA, co-hosts of the tournament, had appeared on course for a straightforward victory but faltered late in their innings.
They needed 12 runs off the final three balls, with Aaron Jones and Nitish Kumar emerging as the heroes.
Jones hit Haris Rauf for a six before Nitish struck a last-ball full toss for four, levelling the scores and forcing the Super Over.
