Islamabad, Sep 25: Former Pakistan cricket captain Intikhab Alam has said that they lost the inaugural Twenty20 World Cup final match because of the reckless shot played by Misbah ul-Haq at the fag end of the play.

“Misbah put Pakistan almost close to victory, but he played a reckless shot that helped India win. Still three balls were left and he should have played sensibly,” Intikhab said.

Calling Indian bowler Joginder Sharma as the weakest link, he said, “Pakistan made things difficult for themselves. Misbah, who remained outstanding throughout the tournament, should have tackled him wisely.”

“I think Shahid Afridi should have opened the innings along with Imran Nazir. But, the captain and coach sent Mohammad Hafeez instead. And Pakistan paid the price,” Intikhab added.

Praising Pakistani bowlers’ performance, he said, “In fact the bowlers were responsible for leading Pakistan to the final.”

According to Intikhab, the turning point of the match was the dropped catch of Rohit Sharma.

“Had he taken the catch the result would have been different,” he said.

Indians won the match with the help of local coaches, Intikhab said, adding, “Mahendra Dhoni captained his side very well.”

“There was no foreign coach with the Indian team. India won the 1983 World Cup also with the help of local coaches,” he added. (With Inputs from ANI)