Pakistan slumped to a 61-run defeat against their arch-rivals in Colombo on Sunday, a result that has left them needing a victory over Namibia in their final Group A fixture to retain any realistic hope of progressing to the Super Eights.
File Photo: IANS
Pakistan head coach Mike Hesson has called on his players to swiftly move on from their humiliating loss to India at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup and refocus on keeping their campaign alive.
Pakistan slumped to a 61-run defeat against their arch-rivals in Colombo on Sunday, a result that has left them needing a victory over Namibia in their final Group A fixture to retain any realistic hope of progressing to the Super Eights.
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While clearly frustrated by the performance against India, Hesson stressed the importance of perspective in a multi-team tournament and urged his squad to regroup ahead of Wednesday’s crucial clash.
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“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 said.
“So, our job is to pick ourselves up and make sure that we’re very good in two or three days.”
Pakistan’s bowlers had done a fair job in containing India to 175/7 from their 20 overs, but the chase unraveled quickly after they lost four wickets inside the Powerplay, effectively derailing any serious attempt at a comeback.
Hesson acknowledged that the magnitude of the occasion may have influenced some of his players and said handling pressure situations better will be key if Pakistan are to advance further in the competition.
“Look it’s 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,” Hesson said.
“And I think that’s going to be a real challenge because as the tournament progresses, we’ll be put under pressure again. And it’s how we respond when we’re under the pump. 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,” he added.
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