CWC 2019: Shoaib Akhtar Criticises India’s Performance vs England; Says ‘India Were Not Up to The Task’

Published by Amrit Santlani on 01 Jul 2019

Former Pakistani cricketer Shoaib Akhtar has criticised team India’s performance against England at the World Cup. Moments after England defeated India by 31 runs, former Pakistan cricketer Shoaib Akhtar, in a series of tweets, stated that the Men in Blue were not up to the mark.

Explaining why India lost the match, Shoaib highlighted the fact that India’s lack of intent at the beginning of the Innings combined with their lacklustre showing at the end contributed to India’s failure to chase the target that Englishmen had set.

India could have played better. An aggressive approach in the first 10 overs and then with 5 wickets in hand, they could have done wonders. But overall, a very strong performance by England. Our hopes now move towards New Zealand,” Akhtar tweeted.

Who was sadder? Why? 😂#indiavsEngland #IndvsEng pic.twitter.com/j5tmkFMujB

— ~Sakshi (@SakshiR66) July 1, 2019

With this result, England reclaimed the fourth spot on the points table, with 10 points from eight matches. They have one more point than fifth-placed Pakistan and also have a better net run rate than the Asian side. With the semi-final spot still open, India, on the other hand, are just one win away from making it to the knock-out stages. With 11 points in seven matches, the Men in Blue are currently placed second.

Congratulations to England for the win. Time to regroup and get back on track next against Bangladesh 💪💪 #TeamIndia #ENGvIND #CWC19 pic.twitter.com/s8Iz9w6Yl7

— BCCI (@BCCI) June 30, 2019

After enduring an inconsistent campaign, both Pakistan and Bangladesh were relying heavily on the result of this match. England’s defeat against India would have added a cushion in their hopes of making it to the final four of the tournament. However, as Shoaib highlighted their hopes now lie at the hands of New Zealand who have two crucial fixtures ahead of them.

Here's how the #CWC19 table looks after today's result 👀

Remarkably, none of India, New Zealand, England, Bangladesh, or Pakistan have qualified for the semi-finals, but all have their fate in their own hands!

Who do you think will end in the top four? pic.twitter.com/DM3sHRLoA3

— Cricket World Cup (@cricketworldcup) June 30, 2019

Also, after yesterday’s loss, India’s undefeated streak at this World Cup came to an end. In the end, though, the better team won, England after winning the toss had posted a total of 338 and on a flat pitch with Indian bowler Yuzvendra Chahal giving away as many as 88 runs in his 10 over spell.