Pakistan skipper Misbah-ul-Haq accepts blame for T20 England loss

Pakistan captain Misbah-ul Haq took full responsibility for the team’s failure to win the final Twenty20 match and the series at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium on Monday night.

Needing 130 runs for victory, Pakistan fell short by five runs after being in the hunt for the most part. They needed 23 runs from the last three overs and had seven wickets in hand, but could only muster 17 runs and lost three batsmen. 

Giving full credit to the England bowlers for pulling off a sensational win, Misbah said: “We made an effort but the England bowlers bowled the last three overs exceedingly well by mixing up the slower ones. We, who were in the middle, are responsible for the defeat as we could not finish the game. I should have finished the game, but I did not have any answer to their excellent bowling.”

Misbah felt the match was within’s Pakistan reach till the 18th over when 17 were needed off the last 12 balls but Stuart Broad’s over, in which he conceded just four runs, sealed their fate. “Until the 17th over, it was very much gettable with so many wickets in hand. Then Dernbach bowled a good over and the second last over bowled by Broad simply pushed the game away from us.”

Calling the defeat one of the biggest disappointments of his career, Misbah felt serious measures were needed to fix batting problems.

Meanwhile, England’s Man of the Match Kevin Pietersen, who struck a valuable knock of 62 not out, said his team produced an “exceptional end”. He added: “I think full credit should go to the bowlers who bowled brilliantly throughout the whole series.”

Captain Broad waxed lyrical over Pietersen’s innings, which he felt set up the game. “It was a tense game and KP showed his experience. Once we got to 130 I thought it was a competitive total and if we took it as deep as possible we stood a chance. Jade (Dernbach) was fantastic, he showed his T20 class here.”

Credit for :- Sport360.com