‘There is panic but…’: Usman Tariq breaks silence after Pakistan’s massive humiliation against India

NEW DELHI: Pakistani players faced heavy criticism from fans and former cricketers after the crushing loss to India national cricket team in the T20 World Cup. However, off spinner Usman Tariq on Tuesday insisted that the team is not feeling any added pressure after the defeat.

The 28-year-old mystery spinner, known for his stop start bowling action, also backed senior batter Babar Azam and pace spearhead Shaheen Shah Afridi following their below par outing against India, reminding critics that both have delivered match winning performances for Pakistan in the past.

Also READ: Can Pakistan hold their nerve against Namibia?

“To be honest, this pressure is mostly created by spectators and outside opinions. People feel there is panic, but inside the team, I haven’t felt any such pressure. Winning and losing are part of the game,” Usman said at the pre match press conference ahead of Pakistan’s final group game against Namibia national cricket team.

“We believe in our strengths, and we’ll use them in the upcoming matches. At the moment, there’s no clarity about the playing XI. We’ll see who plays on the day,” he said when asked about possible changes for the Namibia clash.

Pakistan must beat Namibia to keep their Super Eight hopes alive in the T20 World Cup.

Meeting after India loss, focus on correcting mistakes

“After the match (against India), we had a meeting. We discussed where our plans didn’t work, about the areas where we had lapses, and how we could revise them to make sure we don’t repeat those mistakes.

“We’ll work on those mistakes and that will definitely help in getting better results,” said Usman, who revealed that former India captain MS Dhoni inspired him to return to cricket.

Asked whether Babar Azam and Shaheen Afridi suffered a dip in confidence after the India game, Usman dismissed the idea.

“There’s no doubt that Shaheen and Babar have won many matches for Pakistan. One game doesn’t define their capability or calibre.

“If something like this happens, they know how to recover because they are senior players. There’s nothing like they are shattered or under extra pressure. It’s part of the game. Some days you do well, some days you don’t. The main thing is how you come back and perform again.”

High intensity clash against India no special pressure

Usman admitted that matches against India are always intense but said there was no unusual pressure on the side.

“Playing against India is always high intensity, so whatever pressure is there is normal — it’s something every human being feels. The important thing is how you overcome it, and we prepared for that.

“So, there wasn’t any special pressure. We were just trying to execute our plans. Performances depend on the day. If the bowling unit missed their lines, we’ll focus on those things and work to improve in the next match.”

The off spinner, who returned figures of 1 for 24 in his four overs against India, described the marquee clash as a major moment in his career.

“Yes, of course. I think the whole nation watched the Pakistan-India match, and people around the world watch it. Honestly, I saw it as a big opportunity to make a name for myself. I tried my best, but personally, I feel I wasn’t up to the mark the way I should have been. Hopefully, if I get another chance, I’ll do much better than I did in the last game.”

He also acknowledged that Indian batsmen stayed disciplined and stuck to a clear plan against him.

“They stuck to it (the plan). I was trying to get wickets according to my plans. In the end, I think it was safe from my side. I didn’t get wickets, but I also didn’t concede too many runs. That helps the team.

“If you bowl in crucial phases and control the scoring, it benefits the team because the other bowler can take wickets from the other end.”

Speaking about his inspiration, Usman once again mentioned Dhoni.

“As for my inspiration, I came back to cricket after watching MS Dhoni. His story felt similar to mine because I was also working a job, and he was too.

“He created history, and I felt that if he could do it, maybe I could as well. But for that, I would have to work very hard. That’s what inspired me to return to cricket.”

Namibia aims to finish T20 World Cup on a high

Meanwhile, Craig Williams said Namibia are determined to end their T20 World Cup campaign on a positive note.

“Yeah, it’s definitely (on our minds to end the tournament on a high). The last three games, each game, we were in position to win. And then we just made small errors which our opposition took advantage of. So we’re definitely looking to end the tournament on a high,” said Williams.

“When we played India, we actually got ourselves into a position to win the game. I know it was a long shot and all that. We’ve played some really good cricket. We’ll also hopefully be able to put that all together in the last game tomorrow.”

He added that Namibia’s bowlers have prepared detailed plans for Pakistan’s batting line up and stressed that execution will be key.

“They (Pakistan) might be out of form, but they’re still professional good players. We’ve done a lot of research into our opposition. Our bowlers have got very specific plans to each one of those players. We will just hopefully try to execute those plans that we put in place.

“I think we just have to play a really good game of cricket for all 240 balls. I think against India, against Holland, against the USA, we were 75% – 80% of the time on top and then that last 20% let us down. So, we’re just looking for a really good performance tomorrow.”

Williams also confirmed that Namibia have studied plenty of footage of Usman Tariq and have plans ready to counter Pakistan’s mystery spinner.

(With PTI Inputs)