Catches win matches, as goes the saying, and the Pakistan women's cricket team did the absolute opposite as they took on New Zealand in a must-win Women's T20 World Cup 2024 match. Though New Zealand only scored 110 runs while batting first, even this total was possible only after Pakistan players dropped as many as 8 catches in the match. Pakistan's poor efforts in the field didn't just result into their elimination from the semi-finals race but also Team India's who needed their neighbours to beat the White Ferns in order to qualify for the top 4.
Pakistan's poor fielding efforts triggered a big debate on social media, with former India cricketer Aakash Chopra also getting involved.
"In Asia, we don't 'drop' players...we 'rest' them. In fact, we don't even drop catches...we rest the ball on the ground," Chopra posted on X (formerly Twitter).
The post triggered an intense debate between Chopra and certain fans on social media. As a fan tried to troll Chopra, he gave back a fiery reply. Here's how the conversation went:
India were eliminated from the Women's T20 World Cup after New Zealand scripted a commanding 54-run victory over Pakistan in Dubai.
India's only chance to make the semifinals was depended on a Pakistan win with an inferior net run rate compared to theirs. Pakistan were very much in the game after restricting New Zealand to a meager 110 for six in 20 overs.
However, Pakistan's batting crumbled badly as they were shot out for 56 in just 11.4 overs as the White Ferns entered the semifinals with three wins from four games in Group A. Australia topped the group with eight points while New Zealand came second with six points. The loss to New Zealand in their tournament opener effectively cost India a place in the last four.
With PTI Inputs