Pakistan coach Mike Hesson has called on his squad to immediately shift their focus towards a decisive final group match against Namibia, after a heavy defeat to arch-rivals India has left their T20 World Cup progression hanging by a thread.
According to a report by ICC today, the team’s continuation into the Super Eights stage of the tournament now likely depends on securing a victory in their upcoming fixture on Wednesday, following a chastening 61-run loss to India on Sunday.
While expressing his clear disappointment with the performance, Hesson stressed that setbacks are part of tournament competition and that the squad”s immediate task is to recover ahead of the crucial clash.
“We’re really disappointed we didn’t play as well as we could, but we’re also part of a tournament and we know in tournament play that it’s not always going to go your way,” Hesson stated. “So, our job is to pick ourselves up and make sure that we’re very good in two or three days.”
Against India, Pakistan’s bowlers performed adequately, restricting their opponents to 175/7 in 20 overs. However, their batting response faltered early, with the loss of four wickets inside the Powerplay effectively derailing the run chase before it could gain momentum.
Hesson conceded that some players may have buckled under the strain of the high-stakes encounter and noted that the team”s ability to handle pressure will be tested again as the event continues.
“Look it’s it is very much when a guy’s putting you under pressure, it’s – are you going to stick to your basics or are you going to go away from that,” the coach reflected. “And I think that”s going to be a real challenge because as the tournament progresses, we”ll be put under pressure again.”
He concluded that improving their response in high-pressure situations is essential if the team harbours any ambitions of advancing further in the T20 World Cup.
“All these guys are international players, they’re all good players, but when the pressure comes on, are they going to trust the decision making or are they going to probably go outside that? That”s something that for us to progress further in this tournament it”s something we”re going to have to get better at.”