Before the start of Pakistan's final Super 8 fixture against Sri Lanka, the task at hand for the 2009 champions was enormous. A win wasn't going to be enough unless the margin was enormous. If they were batting first, they had to win by approximately 65-70 runs while the chase had to be done with about six to seven overs left. To keep it simple - they needed a miracle.
Put into bat on a flat surface, Pakistan's batting order rejig saw them post their highest total of the tournament, courtesy a 176-run opening stand between Sahibzada Farhan and Fakhar Zaman. At that stage, they looked set for 220 if not 230 but eventually ended with 212. It meant that Sri Lanka had to be bowled out at 147 or below to qualify. Eventually, it wasn't to be for Pakistan although they did win.
It was a roller-coaster game that went right down to the wire and ironically, Sri Lanka were one shot away from stealing the victory from under Pakistan's noses. Unfortunately, for a game that had lot of thrills and fast-paced action, talks of match fixing on social media were seen, largely from Indian fans whenever Pakistan were in a strong position in the game.
While it is expected to see fans of any team showing irrational behaviour, be it on the ground or on social media, we expect better from people who don the journalist hat. Few of India's senior journalists were continuously ranting indirectly about how the match is fixed, just because Pakistan had gotten off to a sensational start in the game.
At one point, Pakistan had crossed 150 without a wicket lost and six overs were still left. Sri Lanka, already eliminated, were understandably lazy on the field and there were some catches dropped. The bowling also didn't go to plan although this was easily the best batting surface of the Sri Lanka leg of T20 World Cup 2026.
There was a strong caught behind appeal that Sri Lanka didn't review and there was more criticism on the Lankans, especially their captain Dasun Shanaka. Believe it or not, it's Shanaka who eventually got his side within a big hit from a famous win, forcing these people to eat humble pie.
Match fixing and spot fixing has been a huge blot on cricket over the years. The ICC has constantly been trying its best through the anti-corruption units to crack down on any suspicious activities. While we cannot claim the disease to have been eradicated, it's downright silly to throw such accusations in an ICC event.
The main 'logic' mentioned by these people who threw the match fixing allegations was that Sri Lanka would get to host extra games in T20 World Cup 2026 if Pakistan qualified. Again, such theories look alright when they come from fans because fanatical behaviour never has any logic but to see well-informed journalists throwing such mud around is such a shame.
The India-Pakistan rivalry is at an all-time high and hence, it's not entirely surprising to see Indian journalists stepping into 'jingoism mode' to make such bizarre allegations. However, from an ethical point of view, such actions don't paint the Indian sports media in a good light at all.
If Pakistan had indeed qualified for the semifinals, you can imagine the amount of drama that would have been created, considering that they already went overboard just when Pakistan dominated one half of the game. Hopefully, these veterans realise that professional ethics must always trump personal bias and jingoism.
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(The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not purport to reflect the opinions or views of THE WEEK)