Is Shaheen Shah Afridi's injury to blame for Pakistan's loss to England in the T20 World Cup final? Former Indian legend Sunil Gavaskar has responded to the buzzing question after the three lions defeated the Men in Green to win their second ICC T20 World Cup title on Sunday at Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG).
Pakistan hoped to stage a late comeback when pacer Shaheen took a stunning catch to dismiss England's Harry Brook in the 13th over at the MCG.
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When asked about the turning point of the World Cup final, batting legend Sunil Gavaskar said Pakistan was already 15-20 runs behind England. "I don't think so because they didn't put up enough runs." They were approximately 15-20 runs short. They would have had a better chance if they had reached 150-155, and their bowlers would have had a bit of a cushion," Gavaskar told India Today.
“But I don’t think the ten deliveries that Shaheen didn’t bowl would have made that much of a difference. Maybe Pakistan would have got another wicket, but England would still have won,” Gavaskar added. Speaking to reporters after the match, Pakistan captain Babar admitted that his side was 20 runs short with the bat in the final. The Pakistan skipper also asserted that Shaheen's injury shifted the match in England's favor.
Former players like Michael Vaughan and Sachin Tendulkar also reacted over the match's turning point after Shaheen suffered a significant knee injury during an all-important mega-event final.
Former cricketer Michael Vaughan stated after the game that the fast bowler's injury "had a major impact on the outcome of the game." "Have to say the Shaheen's injury had a major impact on the outcome of the game .. Pakistan has once again been brilliant to watch .. they bring so much to the world game .. #ICCT20WorldCup2022Final", he said.
Sachin Tendulkar congratulated England for winning the mega-event final and spoke about the match's turning point.
"Congratulations, England, on winning your 2nd @T20WorldCup. Fantastic achievement. It was a closely fought final and would’ve been even more interesting had Afridi not been injured. What a roller coaster of a World Cup," posted Tendulkar on Twitter.
It is to be noted that Shaheen suffered a major knee injury while taking the catch of Henry Brook. Shaheen will likely be unavailable for the home test series against England later this December with that injury.