Pakistan made a conscious effort to avoid any kind of criticism coming their way after their six-wicket defeat to India in th 2025 Asia Cup Super Fours match between the two sides, all-rounder Hussain Talat said. Hussain’s comments came after he powered Pakistan to a five-wicket win over Sri Lanka in their second Super Fours match in Abu Dhabi.
The 29-year-old won player of the match for his performance, taking two wicket off consecutive balls before leading Pakistan to victory with an unbeaten half-century. “No, there was no feeling of mayusi (disappointment) coming into the match (against Sri Lanka) but since we had lost (to India in the Super 4s opener), no one was feeling good…(But) We put in our best effort in that match,” said Talat in the post-match press conference on Tuesday.
“…but coming into this match there was no pressure. Of course, there was criticism all around but we made a conscious effort to avoid it. Sometimes it’s (criticism) not good for the team coming into a crucial match,” he added.
‘Win over Sri Lanka has infused positivity in the side’
Pakistan were clinical with the ball, particularly in the first half of the Sri Lankan innings, as they restricted Charith Asalanka’s side to a score of 133/8. However, they nearly made a mess of the chase despite the target only being 134, losing four wickets in their first 10 overs. At 80 for five, the match was wide open with Pakistan still needing 54 runs and a defeat would have knocked them out of the race of the tournament. However, they found two willing soldiers in Hussain Talat (32 not out, 30 balls) and Mohammad Nawaz (38 not out, 24 balls), who collected the remaining runs with composure as Pakistan touched the tape with two overs to spare.
The win over Sri Lanka on Tuesday, Talat said, had infused a lot of positivity in the side and if the team could play just two matches with the right intensity, it could lift the Asia Cup trophy. “We are very confident and the atmosphere in the camp (is good) given that we have been playing non-stop cricket for such a long time and the kind of options we have.
“And, the good thing is that the players are being backed (by the management), unlike previous days when they were replaced if they were not performing. Now, only two matches are left. If we play two matches well, the trophy will be ours,” he said