WT20 WC: Munaf Patel reacts as Pakistan drop 8 catches
What's the story
In a do-or-die ICC Women's T20 World Cup Group A match, Pakistan suffered a disappointing defeat against New Zealand in Dubai on Monday. The team dropped as many as eight catches during the match, which played a major role in their 54-run defeat. Not only did this end Pakistan's hopes of progressing, but it also saw India being knocked out of the tournament.
Semi-final qualification
New Zealand secures semi-final berth after 4 years
New Zealand's win over Pakistan has taken them to the semi-finals for the first time since 2016. Although Pakistan's spin attack restricted them to a paltry 110/6, New Zealand successfully defended the score. Openers Suzie Bates and Georgia Plimmer gave a solid start to the White Ferns, scoring 39 runs without loss during the powerplay.
Fielding woes
Pakistan's fielding blunders draw criticism
Pakistan's fielding was a major talking point of the match, with catches being dropped in the 5th, 6th, 8th, 16th and 18th overs. Three more were missed in the final over of New Zealand's innings. These errors drew criticism from former India fast bowler Munaf Patel who expressed his disappointment on social media platform X.
Twitter Post
Here is the post!
You know how many catches where dropped by #Pakistan in today's match #NZWvsPAKW pic.twitter.com/G7EmSqKxWh
— Munaf Patel (@munafpa99881129) October 14, 2024
Batting collapse
Pakistan's batting collapse leads to historic low
In reply to New Zealand's total, Pakistan was bundled out for mere 56 runs - the second lowest all-out total in tournament history. This brought an end to both Pakistan and India in Group A of the tournament. The experienced duo of Fatima Sana and Nida Dar tried to steady the innings with a 32-run partnership, but their efforts weren't enough to avoid a humiliating defeat.