The Pakistan national cricket team received a pat on the back after being beaten by Australia in the semifinal of the T20 World Cup on Thursday.
Though the Aussies beat the Green Shirts to qualify for the final, Babar Azam and his team got lots of love and appreciation for being unbeatable in the tournament.
Dr Arif Ali shared his feeling on Twitter, saying: “Green Shirts you played well but lost. Congratulations to Australia. A good game of cricket.”
Prime Minister Imran Khan took to Twitter to raise the morale of the skipper and national cricket team.
“To Babar Azam and the team: I know exactly how all of you are feeling right now because I have faced similar disappointments on the cricket field,” he tweeted.
“But you should all be proud of the quality of cricket you played and the humility you showed in your wins,” he added. The PM greeted the winner of the T20 World Cup semifinal, saying: “Congratulations Team Australia.”
Reportedly, PM Khan planned a visit to Dubai if Pakistan makes it to the final of the T20 World Cup.
Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Ramiz Raja expressed gratitude to the team for doing well against all odds.
“You have united the land truly and you have refreshed its mood with promise,” the PCB chief tweeted.
“We thank you and we are proud of the way you fought. Well done boys. PakistanZindabad,” he added.
Shoaib Akhtar tweeted: “Appreciate them for a great World cup campaign. Winning 5 out of 6. “Some great team unity displayed along with lovely individual performances. Take a bow Team Pakistan.”
Shoaib Akhtar shared a clip on social media calling for encouraging the cricket team, stressing these players should be supported on all platforms. He urged the team to work hard for bringing about betterment.
Skipper Babar Azam praised his team for playing like ‘true champions’.
He tweeted: “Keep the head high, team. You were impressive and played like true champions.
“We will definitely learn from this experience and come back stronger, In sha Allah. Extremely proud of my pack”.
Leader of Opposition in National Assembly Shehbaz lauded the cricket team forw3 ‘playing brilliantly throughout the tournament.
He tweeted: “Great game of cricket … Boys in green played brilliantly throughout the tournament … Pakistan Zindabad.”
PML-N leader Maryam Nawaz Sharif too felt proud of the national team’s quality cricket.
She tweeted: “Dear Team Pakistan. You have been shining like the brightest of stars throughout the tournament and brought happiness and joy to a nation that was so desperately craving for it.”
She added: “Winning and losing is part of the game. You gave your best and we are all proud of you.”
Cricket fans sprang into action to defend Hassan Ali, the fast bowler’ blamed for showing poor performance, resulting in Pakistan’s defeat in the semifinal. 'It's okay,' a fan defends Hassan Ali.