CAPE TOWN: Former Pakistan cricket team coach and legendary South African opening batter, Gary Kirsten, has accused a group of Pakistani players of deliberately losing the high-voltage T20 World Cup 2024 match against India.
According to a report by a prominent cricket website, Cricket Forever, Kirsten stated that a specific group of five players was responsible for the defeat.
He claimed these individuals intentionally underperformed as part of a tactical maneuver aimed at removing Babar Azam from the captaincy.
While Kirsten did not explicitly name the five players involved, the outcome of the match has remained a subject of intense scrutiny and immense disappointment for millions of Pakistani cricket fans.
The match, played two years ago, took a dramatic turn when the Pakistani bowling attack successfully bundled out the Indian team for a mere 119 runs, with Naseem Shah and Haris Rauf claiming three wickets each.
Pakistan’s chase began strongly, comfortably reaching 73 runs for the loss of just two wickets at the 10-over mark.
However, a sudden and baffling batting collapse followed. Imad Wasim managed only 15 runs off 23 balls, Iftikhar Ahmad scored 5 runs off 14 deliveries, and Shadab Khan contributed just 4 runs from 7 balls.
This sluggish middle-order performance ultimately prevented Pakistan from chasing down the modest target, resulting in a narrow 6-run victory for India despite Pakistan having three wickets in hand.
The Fierce History of Pakistan vs. India in T20 World Cups
The cricket rivalry between Pakistan and India is arguably the most intense and widely watched sporting spectacle in the world, with their encounters in the ICC T20 World Cup serving as the pinnacle of this high-stakes pressure.
Historically, India held an ironclad psychological edge over Pakistan in World Cup events. From the inception of the tournament in 2007—which featured two legendary clashes, including a thrilling bowl-out in the group stage and a heart-stopping final in Johannesburg—India maintained a dominant, undefeated streak against their arch-rivals for over a decade.
This historical barrier was sensationally shattered in 2021 in Dubai, where Pakistan, led by Babar Azam and a lethal opening spell from Shaheen Shah Afridi, registered a historic and resounding 10-wicket victory over India.
However, subsequent tournaments have seen a return to highly unpredictable, nail-biting finishes.
The 2022 encounter at the Melbourne Cricket Ground witnessed a masterclass from Virat Kohli, pulling off an improbable win from the jaws of defeat, followed by the low-scoring thriller in 2024.
These matches transcend ordinary sport; they are defined by extreme psychological pressure, where a single dropped catch or a slow batting overs-stretch can spark massive national debates and alter the careers of the players involved.
