Pakistan all-rounder Shadab Khan fired back at former cricketers who criticised the team following their defeat to India, saying that the legends of the past also fell short in World Cups and that his side's focus remains firmly on lifting the trophy.

 

Speaking at a press conference in Colombo after Pakistan demolished Namibia by 102 runs to book their Super 8 spot, Shadab said, "Everyone has their own opinion and can say whatever they want. I've had an over that got a lot of criticism, but I'm not going to try and justify it. There are things I can control. Sometimes you have a bad day, a bad over. It's T20 cricket. You can give away runs, you can get wickets. I don't really think too much about these things."

 

He acknowledged the stature of Pakistan's former greats but pushed back firmly on their criticism. "Ex-cricketers have their own opinions. Obviously, they've done great things for Pakistan. But at the end of the day, even in the World Cup, they've had similar moments. We were the ones who actually beat India in the 2021 World Cup." 

 

Since the history of cricket began, no team has really beaten India in the World Cup consistently. Obviously, those individual players were legends. But if we talk about the team as a whole, they didn't do much in the World Cup either," he added.

 

Shadab also addressed the noise surrounding the India defeat directly. "A lot is being said about one match. We should have won that match. But our focus is not on one match, it is on winning the World Cup," he said, adding that Pakistan did not take the Namibia game lightly despite their dominant victory.

 

Looking ahead, Shadab said Pakistan stay committed to their process. "Sahibzada Farhan is in great form and we need to keep doing the good things we have been doing," he said. 

 

He warned that the Super 8 stage will bring pressure-filled matches and demanding conditions, while noting that modern T20 cricket increasingly demands allrounders and that the team is not over-experimenting with combinations.

 

On the field, Farhan's brilliant maiden T20I century powered Pakistan to 199, a total Namibia never threatened. They collapsed for 97, handing Pakistan a 102-run victory, their biggest win by runs in T20 World Cup history. Usman Tariq led the bowling with four wickets for 16 runs, while Shadab himself claimed three wickets for 19.

 

Pakistan has now advanced to the Super 8 stage, where they open against New Zealand on February 21.