Former Pakistan captain Aamir Sohail has blamed Shahid Afridi's "defensive captaincy" for the team's World Cup semifinal loss to India, saying the skipper succumbed to pressure in the high-voltage game.

A shadow of the tear-away who once terrified batsmen, as well as cricket administrators worldwide, Shoaib Akhtar's career ended meekly, denied the headline farewell he cherished.

Former greats and fans on Thursday singled out sloppy fielding as the main reason for Pakistan's 29-run loss against bitter rivals India in the high-profile World Cup semifinal in Mohali.

Former captain Sunil Gavaskar has praised Sachin Tendulkar for hanging on to anchor the Indian innings to a challenging total though he might not have played one of his best innings in the high-voltage World Cup semifinal clash against Pakistan at Mohali.