It’s been almost 10 days since the World Cup final, and discussions regarding the reasons for India’s loss are still ongoing. Pakistan’s renowned Wasim Akram shared his thoughts on India’s defeat on ‘Star Sports.’ Regarded as one of the greatest pacers of all time, Akram expressed his opinion, critiquing India’s loss, not just from the perspective of a fan but also holding social media and TV channels accountable.
In the final held on November 19 at Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, India suffered a six-wicket defeat against Australia. Despite winning matches in the league stage and the semifinal, the team led by Rohit Sharma couldn’t replicate a fantastic performance with the bat before the final. They were all out for just 240 runs. India’s bowlers, who had displayed phenomenal gameplay throughout the tournament, couldn’t deliver enough to secure this crucial win. Losing by just 42 balls and four wickets, Australia became champions for the sixth time, breaking records.
Wasim Akram’s argument that India’s expectations were inflated seems valid. India is a cricket-crazy nation, and the expectations surrounding Rohit Sharma’s team were immense even before the World Cup began. This situation somewhat resembles Brazil’s situation in football, where winning the championship is the only prior condition for success, and losing in the final is considered a failure.
Fans were eagerly anticipating a victory until the final. However, when facing opponents in the league stage and the semifinal, other teams couldn’t stand firm against them. The team’s stellar performances naturally garnered praise from India’s devoted fans, and even the TV channels couldn’t help but discuss the experts’ opinions passionately.
Wasim, the World Cup-winning Pakistani from 1992, said, “By playing well, you’ve raised people’s expectations. That’s not entirely your fault. You played very good cricket. But sometimes, a single bad match makes a significant difference. Credit goes to Australia.”
