Pakistan cricket director Mohammad Hafeez spoke about the loss his team faced in the second test against Australia at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG). He said inconsistent officiating coupled with Mohammad Rizwan’s unfair decision cost them the game.
Pakistan gave their all to keep the three-match series alive and win the second Test match. The Shan Masood-led team was successful with the bat and the ball, but could not finish things well, which was potentially one of the main reasons behind their 79-run defeat.
Chasing 316 runs, Pakistan at one point looked favorites to win the game because of the way some of their players batted. Mohammad Rizwan, in particular, batted well and looked like he was going to take a big hit, but he was on the receiving end of the controversial dismissal.
Mohammad Rizwan played a huge role in the chase and reduced the target to less than 100, but his exit at a crucial moment was the turning point. The wicketkeeper-batsman ducked a short ball from Australian captain Pat Cummins.
The wicketkeeper-batsman insisted on not hitting the ball, but the hot spot showed that the ball touched his glove. His wicket led to the collapse as Pakistan lost the last 5 wickets for just 18 runs and just in 40 balls.
Mohammad Hafeez admitted that Pakistan made some mistakes but was angered by the technology used for Mohammad Rizwan’s dismissal.
Mohammad Hafeez added that technology needs to be addressed properly as sometimes it seems like they don’t show real things. Speaking to reporters, he explained:
“Yes, we made some mistakes as a team; “We’ll accept it, we’ll address those things, but at the same time I think the inconsistent officiating, the curse of technology… they really gave us a result that should have been different, so I feel like these are areas that need to be addressed properly.”
“Not just (Rizwan’s) decision, but if you watch the whole game, the very inconsistent decisions by the referees. “We play this beautiful game of cricket with a natural instinct and we all know the basics of the game, but sometimes it feels like it is a technology show, it is not cricket we are playing.”
PAK vs AUS: Pakistan team played better than the other team, overall – Mohammad Hafeez
Mohammad Hafeez became even more infuriated with the technology, saying that it is raising doubts about the game and making things difficult for fans to understand.
Mohammad Hafeez concluded by saying that Pakistan played better cricket than Australia. He noted that they were ahead of the opposition in terms of intent and bowling. He elaborated:
“Technology, I’m all for it… but if it brings some doubt or brings some curse to the game, it shouldn’t be acceptable. (The ball that hits the stumps) is always out. Why it’s the referee’s decision, I’ll never understand.
“Fans will never understand why this technology is inconsistent and the outcome of the game is basically different. I will summarize: Pakistan team played better than the other team, overall. Our batting intent was better, our bowling was hitting in the right areas.”
This was Pakistan’s 16th consecutive loss in Tests in Australia. They already lost the series and hope to come back in the last game. The final match of the series will be played on January 3 at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG).