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USA Captain Admits Panic in T20 WC Loss to Pakistan: 'Cost Us the Game'

USA captain Monank Patel pinpointed a loss of control during the middle overs as the reason for his team's 32-run defeat to Pakistan in the T20 World Cup. He admitted the team panicked while batting, struggling against Pakistan's spinners after a good Power-play start. Patel noted a similar pattern in bowling, where pressure wasn't sustained after a decent beginning. Despite the loss, he emphasized the team's overall progress and confidence heading into their remaining matches.

Key Points: USA Captain Monank Patel on T20 World Cup Loss to Pakistan

  • Middle-over collapse with bat and ball
  • Failure to show intent against spin
  • Power-play performances were decent
  • Focus on finishing tournament strongly
2 min read

T20 WC: 'We panicked a bit,' says USA captain Monank Patel after loss to Pakistan

USA captain Monank Patel analyzes the 32-run defeat to Pakistan, citing middle-over panic and lack of intent as key factors in the T20 World Cup match.

"We panicked a bit, and that cost us the game. - Monank Patel"

Colombo, Feb 10

USA captain Monank Patel felt his side lost control of things, with both bat and ball, during the middle overs after suffering a 32-run defeat against Pakistan in their Group A match of the ICC Men's T20 World Cup at the Sinhalese Sports Club in Colombo on Tuesday.

Assessing the bowling effort while defending 190, Monank said the USA started reasonably well but failed to sustain pressure through the middle phase, even though the pacers recovered towards the end.

"We bowled decently in the Power-play but didn't bowl well in the middle overs. Came back in the last four overs, where the pacers bowled well. We were still in the game with 190," Monank said during the post-match presentation.

Monank felt a similar pattern unfolded during the chase, with the USA unable to maintain intent once the field spread, allowing Pakistan's spinners to dictate terms. He said, "Played well in the Power-play, but couldn't show intent in the middle overs. While batting, we didn't show intent. Their spinners were not giving enough pace, and it was hard to hit the boundary options. We panicked a bit, and that cost us the game."

Despite the loss, the USA skipper emphasised the progress his side has made over the past year and said the group's confidence remained high heading into the contest.

"We've been playing really good cricket for the last 12-15 months. Coming here for the second game, we were confident enough. Just small mistakes in the game," he said.

Looking ahead to the remainder of the tournament, Monank stressed the importance of finishing strongly while adapting quickly to changing conditions and venues.

"Want to make sure we finish this World Cup strong with two wins. It's not easy playing at different venues. Now we'll go to Chennai. We'll have one session there. Will work hard to come back stronger," the USA skipper concluded.

- IANS

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Reader Comments

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Sarah B
As a cricket fan living in India, it's fascinating to see new teams emerge. The USA's journey is impressive. Losing to a top side like Pakistan by 32 runs is not a bad result at all. They just need to work on handling spin pressure, which is a classic subcontinent challenge.
A
Aditya G
Honest admission from the captain. "We panicked a bit" – that's the key. Playing against Asian teams, especially Pakistan with their spinners, requires a calm head. The middle overs are where matches are won and lost. Hope they learn from this before they play other teams.
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Priyanka N
Respect to Monank Patel for his balanced view. He didn't make excuses. It's good for world cricket when associate nations compete like this. But I have to say, chasing 190 against Pakistan's bowling attack was always a tall order, even for more experienced sides.
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Karthik V
The problem is clear – they couldn't handle the spin in the middle overs. It's a typical issue for teams not used to these conditions. Our Indian team masters this. USA needs to play more in the subcontinent. Still, a decent show! All the best for Chennai.
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Michael C
Watching from Mumbai. While the USA's growth is positive, let's be real – this loss exposes their technical gaps against quality spin. Monank's analysis is spot-on, but "small mistakes" at this level are very costly. They need to be sharper to cause a real upset.

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