Cricket

USA Pacer Ali Khan: Pakistan Win Was No Fluke, We Planned to Beat ThemUSA pacer Ali Khan has asserted that their stunning victory over Pakistan in the group stage of the T20 World Cup was not a mere coincidence. The Pakistan-born Khan revealed that the USA team had specifically targeted Pakistan for a win due to their history.Khan explained that the USA team had gained immense confidence from their series win over Bangladesh prior to the World Cup. "That gave us a lot of confidence going forward," he said. "We knew we could easily beat Canada and Ireland. Then it was about picking one team between India and Pakistan that we could beat. We had confidence that we could beat Pakistan."The USA team executed their plan to perfection, dominating Pakistan from the outset. "We had planned accordingly and were all over them from the first ball," Khan said. "I think they had a good phase when Babar and Shadab were batting, other than that we dominated Pakistan."Khan acknowledged Pakistan's unpredictable nature, stating that they are capable of both brilliant and disastrous performances. "If you look at Pakistan's history, they will either destroy you or themselves," he said. "Thankfully, the latter happened. It was a lucky day for us and the win was important."The USA team finished second in Group A behind India, qualifying for the Super 8 stage. Khan's comments highlight the growing confidence and ambition of the USA cricket team, which is aiming to make a mark on the international stage.

Pakistan's humiliating defeat to the United States in the T20 World Cup has sent shockwaves through the cricketing world. Former cricketer Kamran Akmal has lambasted the team, calling it the "biggest insult" in Pakistan cricket history.Akmal slammed Pakistan's performance, stating that there could not be a greater humiliation than losing to a team ranked far below them. He praised the USA for their exceptional play, noting that they outplayed Pakistan in all aspects of the game."The USA played exceptionally well. They didn't feel like a low-ranked side. It felt like they were ranked above Pakistan. That is the level of maturity they showed," Akmal said.Akmal also criticized Pakistan's team selection, claiming that it was based on personal preferences rather than merit. He pointed to the inclusion of players who had not performed well in recent series."Players are selected on liking and disliking. A player performed in the Caribbean Premier League (CPL), but what about the past three series in which he wasn't able to perform?" Akmal questioned.Pakistan's defeat has raised questions about the team's preparation and strategy. Former PCB chairman Ramiz Raja has also criticized the team selection process, calling it "unprofessional."Pakistan will now face arch-rival India in a crucial match on Sunday. The match will be a test of Pakistan's character and resilience after their embarrassing defeat to the USA.

In a thrilling encounter at the 2024 T20 World Cup, the underdog USA team pulled off a stunning upset against cricketing powerhouse Pakistan. Chasing a modest target of 160, USA cruised initially but faced a late collapse. With five runs needed off the final ball, Nitish Kumar struck a boundary to force a Super Over.In the Super Over, Pakistan's Mohammad Amir opened the bowling against Aaron Jones and Harmeet Singh. Jones started with a boundary, followed by two singles. Amir then conceded two wides, giving USA a significant advantage. Jones added another single, while Harmeet also scored two wides.With USA needing just one run off the final ball, Jones misjudged a full toss and was run out. However, the USA batters had already accumulated 18 runs, setting Pakistan a target of 19.Pakistan's Iftikhar Ahmed started the chase with a boundary but was caught by Nitish Kumar in the next over. Shadab Khan came to the crease with Pakistan needing 14 runs off three balls. He was fortunate to receive two wides, but a leg-bye and a lofted shot brought the equation down to seven runs off one ball.Netravalkar bowled a yorker, which Shadab could only loft to long-off. USA's fielders erupted in celebration as they secured a famous five-run victory.This upset marks a historic moment for USA cricket and sends shockwaves through the cricketing world. It is a testament to the team's determination and the growing strength of cricket in the United States.

USA Stuns Bangladesh in Historic T20I VictoryIn a major upset, the United States of America (USA) defeated full member Bangladesh by five wickets in the first T20I at the Prairie View Cricket Complex in Texas on Tuesday. The victory marks a significant milestone for the Associate Nation, which has never defeated a full member in a T20I before.Chasing a modest target of 154, the USA lost half of their team for just 94 runs. However, former New Zealand all-rounder Corey Anderson (34 not out) and former Mumbai and India U-19 player Harmeet Singh (33 not out) came to the rescue with a crucial 62-run partnership for the sixth wicket.Anderson played cautiously before hitting Mustafizur Rahman and Mahmudullah for a six each. Harmeet hammered back-to-back sixes off Mustafizur Rahman in the 17th over before hitting Shoriful Islam for a six in the 18th over and followed it up with a boundary off the last ball of the over. He sealed victory for the USA with a four off Mahmudullah off the third ball of the 19th over.Earlier, Bangladesh elected to field first and restricted the USA to just 153/6 in 20 overs. Middle-order batter Tawhid Hridoy top-scored for Bangladesh with 58 off 47 balls, while Mahmudullah contributed 31 and Soumya Sarkar added 20.The USA's victory sparked a meme fest on social media, with many users highlighting the fact that the team is largely composed of players of Indian origin. The win also raised questions about the future of Associate Nations in international cricket and the need for more opportunities for them to compete against full members.