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Pakistan pacer Haris Rauf minced no words and said that certain people back home wait to see Pakistan lose so that they can criticise players.
“It is now a common thing in Pakistan to criticise players. These are young players who have been given an opportunity. If you look at the rest of the teams, the youngsters are given full freedom,” Haris Rauf told reporters at the post-match press conference.
“They are given 10-15 games. When you first enter international cricket, you struggle. That goes without saying. It is now common in Pakistan. People are waiting to see us lose. People have their opinion,” he added.
The pacer asked fans to be patient with the youngsters, saying, “We are giving our best and focusing on building the team. As seniors, we are motivating the youngsters and teaching them how to approach international cricket.”
Meanwhile, Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha believed that it was a good game compared to his side’s previous match. “We batted batter. Fielding was outstanding. Bowling in patches was good. The bounce we need to understand is different. After the powerplay, we bowled well. Haris bowled well. We need to be better in the powerplay. As a batting unit, we need to have better powerplay. And same as a bowling unit as well,” Agha observed after the game.
Captain Salman Ali Agha made 46 as Pakistan reached 135-9 in a match reduced to 15 overs per inning after a delay for a wet outfield. But Tim Seifert blasted 45 from 22 balls and Finn Allen hit 38 from 16 as New Zealand cruised to a five-wicket win.
