NEW DELHI: Former cricketer Basit Ali has apologized for his prediction about the Champions Trophy final in Lahore after Pakistan’s early exit from the tournament.
Pakistan’s campaign in the ICC event came to an end during the group stage following consecutive losses against New Zealand and India.
Pakistan’s hopes depended on Bangladesh defeating New Zealand. However, the Kiwis secured their semi-final spot alongside India by defeating Bangladesh by five wickets in Rawalpindi on Monday.
Following Pakistan’s elimination, Basit Ali addressed his earlier prediction on his YouTube channel.
“I apologise for saying that the final will be played in Lahore. I didn’t expect Pakistan to play like this,” Basit said on his YouTube channel.
Basit expressed his support for India to win the tournament on March 9.
“I genuinely wish India would dominate the tournament and win it. If South Africa and India play the final, it would be good because it will be like the T20 World Cup final,” he added.
Pakistan hosted its first global cricket event in nearly three decades.
The loss against New Zealand made Pakistan’s match against India crucial for survival in the tournament. Pakistan’s performance fell short in the India match as their key player Babar Azam struggled against the Indian bowlers.
The Pakistani bowling trio of Shaheen Afridi, Haris Rauf, and Naseem Shah also failed to make an impact against India’s batting lineup.
India defeated Pakistan by six wickets, demonstrating superiority in all aspects of the game.
Pakistan will conclude their Champions Trophy campaign against Bangladesh in Rawalpindi, though the match holds no significance for qualification.