Veteran Pakistan cricketer Mohammad Hafeez has questioned Team India’s intent during their ICC World Cup 2019 round-robin match against England, where the Men in Blue suffered a crushing defeat to the eventual world champion. While Hafeez didn’t blame the Indian team for losing the match deliberately, the all-rounder said he didn’t see match-winning intent from them.&nbsp;

Had India won the match against England, Pakistan’s chances of making it to the semi-finals would have increased. However, England defeated India by 31 runs to crush Pakistan’s chances to qualify to the knockouts. Hafeez said that as a fan, he didn’t see any match-winning intent and felt bad for the sport.

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<h2>I felt bad for the sport: Mohammad Hafeez</h2>

"Ask any cricket fan, everyone will say intent to play with the spirit was not there. I don't know about the results and who went out because of that. We played good cricket and we were out because of our small mistakes. So I can't blame any result for that," Hafeez said during a video conference organised by Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).

"But as a fan, if I see the match, I did not see the match-winning intent. I felt bad for the sport. The encounter factor was missing where both teams were playing to win. The mistakes we made, we failed to tick a few boxes in the 2019 World Cup. But as a fan, that is my opinion about that game," he added.

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Numerous former Pakistan cricketers including Abdul Razzaq have blamed India for losing the match deliberately.&nbsp; 
The matter heated up after Ben Stokes, in his book, wrote that he was surprised to see no or little intent from MS Dhoni and Kedar Jadhav during India’s chase of the 338-run target.&nbsp;

"Arguably, the way MS Dhoni played when he came in with 112 runs needed from 11 overs was even stranger. He appeared more intent on singles than sixes. Even with a dozen balls remaining, India could still have won. There was little or no intent from him (Dhoni) or his partner Kedar Jadhav. To me, while victory is still possible you always go for broke," he had written. 
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Veteran Pakistan cricketer Mohammad Hafeez has questioned Team India’s intent during their ICC World Cup 2019 round-robin match against England, where the Men in Blue suffered a crushing defeat to the eventual world champion.

Veteran Pakistan cricketer Mohammad Hafeez has questioned Team India’s intent during their ICC World Cup 2019 round-robin match against England, where the Men in Blue suffered a crushing defeat to the eventual world champion. While Hafeez didn’t blame the Indian team for losing the match deliberately, the all-rounder said he didn’t see match-winning intent from them. Had India won the match against England, Pakistan’s chances of making it to the semi-finals would have increased. However, England defeated India by 31 runs to crush Pakistan’s chances to qualify to the knockouts. Hafeez said that as a fan, he didn’t see any match-winning intent and felt bad for the sport. ALSO READ: September IPL 2020 in Sri Lanka is viable option, opines Sunil Gavaskar I felt bad for the sport: Mohammad Hafeez "Ask any cricket fan, everyone will say intent to play with the spirit was not there. I don't know about the results and who went out because of that. We played good cricket and we were out because of our small mistakes. So I can't blame any result for that," Hafeez said during a video conference organised by Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB). "But as a fan, if I see the match, I did not see the match-winning intent. I felt bad for the sport. The encounter factor was missing where both teams were playing to win. The mistakes we made, we failed to tick a few boxes in the 2019 World Cup. But as a fan, that is my opinion about that game," he added. ALSO READ: Cricket Australia CEO Kevin Roberts set to be axed: Report Numerous former Pakistan cricketers including Abdul Razzaq have blamed India for losing the match deliberately. The matter heated up after Ben Stokes, in his book, wrote that he was surprised to see no or little intent from MS Dhoni and Kedar Jadhav during India’s chase of the 338-run target. "Arguably, the way MS Dhoni played when he came in with 112 runs needed from 11 overs was even stranger. He appeared more intent on singles than sixes. Even with a dozen balls remaining, India could still have won. There was little or no intent from him (Dhoni) or his partner Kedar Jadhav. To me, while victory is still possible you always go for broke," he had written.

I felt bad for the sport: Mohammad Hafeez questions Team India's intent during 2019 World Cup match vs England

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I felt bad for the sport: Mohammad Hafeez questions Team India's intent during 2019 World Cup match vs England