"Losing to first-timers" - Virender Sehwag mocks Pakistan and sends crucial message to ICC over IND-PAK matches

Former India batsman Virender Sehwag has said Pakistan did not deserve to qualify for the Super 8s of the ongoing ICC T20 World Cup 2024.

The Men in Green's chance of progressing ahead of the group stage was hanging by a thread after they lost against the USA and India in their first two games. They failed to defend 159 runs against the USA and eventually lost the game in the Super Over. In the following game against India, they could not chase down 120 runs despite needing 48 runs from as many balls with 8 wickets in hand at one stage.

They finally opened their account with a win over Canada and needed the USA to lose their last group game to have a chance of making it to the next round. However, the USA's final group game was washed out and it helped them seal their spot in the next round while Pakistan were dumped out.

While Pakistan might feel hard done by because of the washout, Virender Sehwag has said they did not deserve to go through because of their poor performances in the earlier games. Not the one to mince his words, Virender Sehwag also said that Pakistan would have suffered losses in the Super 8s stages as well had they managed to qualify.

"How can you blame rain? Even if you had won, you didn't deserve to go ahead. You would've lost in Super Eight stage. You wouldn't have had easier opponents there. You need to realise that you are losing to first-timers, you don't deserve to go ahead. You can't chase 120 runs against India, score 113 with wickets remaining... how can you blame the rain?" Sehwag told Cricbuzz.

ICC will rethink on keeping India and Pakistan in a group: Virender Sehwag

Speaking further, Virender Sehwag also said that the ICC will now rethink on keeping India and Pakistan in the same group in an ICC tournament. Both the teams were in the same group in the 2016, 2021 and 2022 editions as well.

"In 2007, neither India nor Pakistan qualified for the second round. We were in different groups back then. Now, ICC will rethink on keeping India and Pakistan in a group and ensure they don't keep a team that beats them!” Sehwag said.

From Group A, India and USA have qualified for the Super 8s. The other teams to qualify for the next stage are Australia, England, West Indies, Afghanistan and South Africa.