ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s medium-fast bowler Hasan Ali on Saturday expressed regret at his performance during the Twenty20 World Cup semifinal in a message to cricket fans in his country, telling them they could not be more “disappointed” by his game than him.
Ali conceded 44 runs in Pakistan’s match with Australia in the knock-out stage of the tournament and dropped a crucial catch of Matthew Wade in the 19th over that ultimately cost his team the match.
The Pakistani bowler was criticized for his performance, though skipper Babar Azam came to his rescue and called him “a fighter” who was going to regain his flair for the game.
“I know you all are upset because my performance didn’t meet your expectations,” he said in a message posted on his Twitter account, adding that his fans could not be “more disappointed than me.”
“Don’t change your expectations from me,” he continued. “I want to serve Pakistan cricket at the highest level, so back to hard work. This patch will make me stronger.”
Ali’s tweet quoted verses from a national song in Urdu, saying he would even be happy to lay down his life for his country.
The Pakistani cricketer has played 47 T20 matches and given his best performance, 4/18, against Zimbabwe.
