'I let my team down'- Shadab Khan apologizes after his horror show in Asia Cup final

Sri Lanka clinched their sixth Asia Cup trophy after defeating Pakistan in the 2022 Asia Cup Final at Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Sunday (11th September). While the Pakistani batters have received widespread criticism after their lackluster show, vice-captain Shadab Khan has apologized for his horror show on the field and has taken the blame for the loss.

Shadab Khan, who is one of the better fielders on the national side, uncharacteristically dropped two catches in crunch moments, handing the momentum to their opponents. He dropped the crucial catch of Bhanuka Rajapaksa, parrying the ball for a maximum in a bizarre manner.

He expressed his disappointment in dropping the crucial catches and apologized while blaming himself for the defeat against the islanders in the final. He highlighted the positives for the team after the loss, praising the efforts of Haris Rauf, Naseem Shah, Mohammad Nawaz, and Mohammad Rizwan.

"Catches win matches. Sorry, I take responsibility for this loss. I let my team down. Positives for the team, Naseem Shah, Haris Rauf, Mohammad Nawaz, and the entire bowling attack was great. Mohammad Rizwan fought hard. The entire team tried their best. Congratulations to Sri Lanka," Shadab expressed through a tweet.

Catches win matches. Sorry, I take responsibility for this loss. I let my team down. Positives for team, @iNaseemShah, @HarisRauf14, @mnawaz94 and the entire bowling attack was great. @iMRizwanPak fought hard. The entire team tried their best. Congratulations to Sri Lanka pic.twitter.com/7qPgAalzbt

— Shadab Khan (@76Shadabkhan) September 11, 2022

Batting remains a big concern for the Pakistani team ahead of the T20 World Cup

Pakistan skipper Babar Azam bowed out of the tournament with another dismal outing and although his opening partner Mohammad Rizwan registered a half-century in the match, the wicketkeeper-batter has been criticized for his slow-paced innings. Rizwan, along with Iftikhar Ahmed, consolidated the ship in the middle, but never threatened the Sri Lankan bowlers, who excelled on the night. Asif Ali was dismissed for a second consecutive duck in the tournament as the batters struggled to cope against the Lankan spinners in the middle overs.

The loss in the final has got Pakistan a few questions to answer regarding their batting line-up, which lacked intent in the finale against Sri Lanka. But Shadab Khan, along with Mohammad Rizwan, has been a revelation for the Men in Green in the tournament and will be pivotal for the side's future endeavors.