Former England skipper Michael Vaughan couldn't hold himself back and took the 'Dil Dil Pakistan' jibe at Babar Azam and co. following a stunning defeat to Afghanistan in the 2023 World Cup clash on Monday. Vaughan sarcastically reasoned that 'Dil Dil Pakistan' wouldn't have been played in Chennai; hence, they lost.
Afghanistan got to the target of 283 set by Pakistan in a canter with 8 wickets to spare as three batters hit half-centuries. The Men in Green proved toothless, especially the spinners, as they couldn't make the expected inroads in the clash. Shaheen Shah Afridi and Hasan Ali were the only ones to pick wickets.
Vaughan had trolled Pakistan after their defeat to India too, stating that 'Dil Dil Pakistan' hadn't been played in Ahmedabad; hence, they tasted a loss. Hence, the 48-year-old seized the opportunity and trolled Pakistan, saying:
"I presume ‘Dil Dil’ Pakistan wasn’t played in Chennai today."
Babar Azam's honest assessment after 3rd consecutive loss:
Following the loss, Pakistan skipper Babar Azam lamented the lack of wickets in the middle overs and felt spinners could've bowled much better on a surface offering assistance. He said at the post-match presentation.
"We had a good total, but in bowling, we were not up to the mark because we weren't taking wickets in the middle overs. In a World Cup, if you are not good even in one department, you lose. We started well while bowling, but we couldn't take wickets. All credit to Afghanistan. We are not playing good cricket, [especially] in bowling and fielding. The pitch was helping the spinners even in the second innings. There was no pressure on their batsmen."
Pakistan's chances of reaching the semi-finals look increasingly difficult after another defeat.
