What we don’t want is that the whole country gets after poor Hasan Ali now: Wasim Akram

Australia locked horns with Pakistan in the second semi-final of the T20 World Cup 2021 and if people have been naming one man behind Pakistan’s exit, it is pacer Hasan Ali. Ali had a tournament to forget in 2021 and his dropped catch in the penultimate over put Australia in the driving seat. However, now former legendary Wasim Akram has come in his support and has urged people not to blame him.

Akram added that he doesn’t want the whole nation to get behind Ali. Many people have been in the same shoes earlier and they all have dropped catches, it happens because it’s a game, stated Akram. Everyone forgets things the next day and they move on.

“What we don’t want is that the whole country gets after poor Hasan Ali now. I have been through this, Waqar Younis has been through it. In other countries, it’s just a game for people. Next day, you say well-tried, bad luck, better luck next time, and move on,” Akram told A Sports.

Ali, who was already having a dismal outing against Australia by leaking 44 runs in his four overs, caught all the attention by dropping Matthew Wade off Afridi and the batter followed up the game with three straight sixes to take Australia home. Even skipper Babar Azam said in the post-match presentation that the catch cost them the match. However, he backed his pacer in the presser that followed.

As a nation, we don’t want to add fire to that fuel: Wasim Akram

Akram stated that this situation is tough for fans as well as the players but as a nation, they wouldn’t like to add fire to the fuel. Ali also couldn’t take any wicket in the game against Australia and it was only after the dropped catch that Wade smashed a flurry of sixes.

“This situation is as tough for the players as it is for the fans. The players will go to their rooms, they’ll be quiet, they won’t talk to their families and the defeat will haunt them. As a nation, we don’t want to add fire to that fuel,” he added.