Ravindra Jadeja has questioned the Pakistan team's fitness after pacer Naseem Shah suffered cramps during a crucial moment in their five-wicket loss to arch-rivals India in Asia Cup 2022 on Sunday.
Shah suffered cramps during the 18th over which lead to the pacer returning to the dressing room. Pakistan conceded the match from a winning position.
But Jadeja insisted that Pakistan players suffering cramps did not give India an advantage in the death-overs.
He said the weather had an effect on players from both teams and it came down to individual fitness on how one performed in pressure situations.
"It's not that if Naseem Shah had not suffered cramps, we would have lost. In such pressure situations, if your body doesn't support you, your performance gets affected. But the weather is the same for everyone. It does not vary from team to team. It comes down to personal individual fitness and preparation as to how much liquid you consume. Every individual has to look after themselves personally. I believe every professional cricketer takes care of themselves. But sometimes nervousness can also lead to cramps," Ravindra Jadeja said at the press conference ahead of India-Hong Kong game on Wednesday.
After the match, there was a lot of talk on how Pakistan pacers cramping played a crucial role in their defeat. However, many experts also questioned their fitness and preparation in the shortest format, where every bowler gets to bowl mere four overs. India bowlers, on the other hand, bowled when the temperature was much higher but despite that none of them suffered cramps or looked in an uncomfortable situation physically.
India and Pakistan are potentially set to meet again in Super 4 round of the tournament.
