Islamabad, Sep 8: An investigation by a Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) committee has blamed their quarterfinal defeat to India in the Under-19 World Cup in Australia as the main reason behind their dismal showing at the tournament, rejecting any notion of disciplinary issues with the young players.
Pakistan’s young players had earlier admitted that the major reason behind their poor showing at the World Cup was their quarterfinal loss to India and the huge mental pressure, which was exerted on them due to it.
The young players were replying to the several question put forward to them by he Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB) four-member inquiry, which was set up to investigate the reason behind their dismal performance at the World Cup.
Earlier, captain Babar Azam had said: “As far as our position in the tournament was concerned, it was over ever since we lose the quarterfinal. The boys were so depressed and despite the best possible efforts of the entire team management to motivate us, we could not get over from the shock as we were mentally and physically exhausted, that was the main reason of losing other matches, the source revealed.”
A well-placed source confirmed that Javed Miandad, who is a part of the inquiry committee, agreed with the boys’ version that whenever a match is played against India there is huge pressure on the players.
Now, the inquiry committee has stamped the reason given by the young players behind their poor performance in its final report, which it has submitted to the PCB.
“The loss to India took its toll,” the Express Tribune quoted a PCB official, as saying.
“There were no complaints of any wrongdoing from the team management against any player or vice versa,” the official added.
© ANI
