Asia Cup and the road to heartbreak

KARACHI: It’s no secret that Pakistan is going through serious turmoil. But in the midst of all that is wrong, we have found our solace in our cricket team. And the Asia Cup has been symbolic of the true grit of the Pakistani nation. Despite one humiliating defeat, several injuries and numerous delays, we did not give up until the very end. The semi-final of the Asia Cup between Pakistan and Sri Lanka was a nail bitter and a true testament of Pakistani cricket at its best.

Of valiant efforts

The Pakistan vs Sri Lanka semi-final started off on a slow pace and it seemed as though achieving a defendable score would be near impossible for Pakistan. That is, until Mohammad Rizwan came and reminded us of all that he can do with the bat! Not just Rizwan but Abdullah Shafique and Iftikhar Ahmed also were the stars of the show!

Fabulous innings of 86* from @iMRizwanPak full of grit,technic & fitness. Typical Rizwan innings 😍👍🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼 #AsiaCup2023 #PAKvsSL pic.twitter.com/9uZMK6nHko

— Mohammad Hafeez (@MHafeez22) September 14, 2023

Batting job done, and that too with excellence. Credits to @iMRizwanPak, @imabd28 and @IftiMania. Last few overs were capitalised the way they should’ve been 👍🏼 Time for the bowlers to show their magic now. Let’s win this boys, In Shaa Allah 🇵🇰#PAKvSL #AsiaCup2023 pic.twitter.com/6HNR1HjEd7

— Wahab Riaz (@WahabViki) September 14, 2023

Proud of this team❤️❤️

Had to travel day and night for the games and then faced injuries but still they fought very well
Stay strong boys.Will always back you and defend you. Best of luck for the WC#PAKvSL pic.twitter.com/f2nVw9r5dq

— Hassan (@HassanAbbasian) September 14, 2023

Of international debuts

With Haris Rauf and Naseem Shah out of the semi-final, it seemed like our bowlers were in a tough spot. Surprisingly enough, that wasn’t the case. Making his international debut, Zaman Khan reignited hope for the team especially for the upcoming World Cup.

If Zaman Khan can bowl like this in his first intl’ ODI, imagine what he will achieve with just a bit of game exposure. #pakvsl

— Roha Nadeem (@RohaNadym) September 14, 2023

The man of nerves,death over specialist. Well played Zaman Khan. Incredible bowling. Chin Up! We are proud of you. #ZamanKhan #SLvsPak #AsiaCup2023 pic.twitter.com/VW5CJTWhHQ

— Dr. Shaista Lodhi (@IamShaistaLodhi) September 14, 2023

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Of sportsmanship

How far is one willing to go to win a match? Many took to social media to applaud Zaman Khan for showing true sportsmanship by not going for the mankad, which would have inevitably have won us the game.