It seems like the IPL, the world’s richest cricket league, is back in the spotlight. Former Kiwi pacer Mitchell McClenaghan recently called out Pakistan journalist Imran Siddique for his comments on New Zealand’s poor performance in the ongoing T20 World Cup 2024. The Kiwi side had just lost a crucial game against the two-time T20 World Cup champions, West Indies.
The journalist took to X (formerly Twitter) and wrote, “This is what happens when you prefer money over national duty. New Zealand had a great chance to prepare for the World Cup 2024 on the Pakistan tour, but their main players chose the IPL, and now they are out of the World Cup.”
Former Kiwi Fires Back at Journalist After ‘Absurd’ Statement
Mitchell McClenaghan didn’t hold back. He reminded the journalist that Pakistan’s team had lost to New Zealand’s C side, Ireland, and even the USA, who are not full member nations. McClenaghan responded on X, “Very poor take. You lost games to our C side, Ireland, and the USA.”
<blockquote class=”twitter-tweet” data-media-max-width=”560″><p lang=”en” dir=”ltr”>Very poor take. <br><br>You lost games to our C side, Ireland and the USA <a href=”https://t.co/jfHQl2b0Xa”>https://t.co/jfHQl2b0Xa</a></p>— Mitchell McClenaghan (@Mitch_Savage) <a href=”https://twitter.com/Mitch_Savage/status/1801140967225032777?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>June 13, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src=”https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js” charset=”utf-8″></script>
The New Zealand Debacle!
Despite the heated exchange, it’s undeniable that the Black Caps have struggled in this T20 World Cup. They’ve lost two out of four games so far. Their first defeat against Afghanistan was particularly shocking, as the team was bowled out for just 75 runs, severely impacting their net run rate.
Now, after another loss to the West Indies, New Zealand finds themselves on the brink of elimination. The road to the Super Eight stage looks incredibly challenging for the Kiwis. As the standings suggest, it’s almost impossible for them to advance. It will be interesting to see if they can pull off a miracle and turn their fortunes around in the remaining matches.
