“It doesn’t really matter, does it?” – Pat Cummins responds to Hafeez’s ‘Pakistan played better than Australia’ remark
Despite the defeat in the Boxing Day Test against Australia at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, Pakistan team director Mohammad Hafeez expressed satisfaction with the team’s performance, asserting that they outperformed the hosts. Despite a promising position on Day 3 when Australia was 16/4, a missed catch by Abdullah Shafique allowed Mitchell Marsh to score 96 runs, contributing to Australia’s momentum under Pat Cummins’ leadership.
In pursuit of 317 runs, Pakistan remained competitive throughout the chase. Captain Shan Masood registered another half-century, supported by Babar Azam. However, the dismissals of Mohammad Rizwan and Agha Salman disrupted their control. Rizwan’s controversial caught behind decision, overturned through Cummins’ review, sparked dissatisfaction. Hafeez acknowledged that unfavorable decisions impacted the outcome.
Responding to Hafeez, Cummins acknowledged Pakistan’s strong performance at the MCG but emphasized his satisfaction with the victory. Australia secured a 79-run win with Cummins securing another five-for.
Pat Cummins said “Ahhhh. Cool. They played well. I am glad we got the win. It doesn’t really matter, does it? It is the team who wins at the end.”
Leading 2-0 in the series, Australia now holds the third position on the World Test Championship points table. The third Test is scheduled for January 3 in Sydney.