Abu Dhabi: Pakistan all-rounder Hussain Talat has dismissed claims that the team’s morale dropped after their six-wicket loss to India in the Asia Cup Super 4. He said the players are ignoring the criticism and staying focused for the upcoming matches. Batting all-rounder Talat played crucial role in helping Pakistan win by five wickets and earn two crucial points on Tuesday against Sri Lanka. No feeling of disappointment: Talat When asked if the players are disappointed since they lost to India, the Pakistan all rounder said that they are not disappointed instead are preparing for further matches. BCCI announces Apollo Tyres as new jersey sponsor of Indian Cricket Team; Full story here… "No, there was no feeling of mayusi (disappointment) coming into the match (against Sri Lanka) but since we had lost (to India in the Super 4s opener), no one was feeling good...(But) We put in our best effort in that match," said Talat in the post-match press conference on Tuesday. "...but coming into this match, there was no pressure. Of course, there was criticism all around but we made a conscious effort to avoid it. Sometimes it's (criticism) not good for the team coming into a crucial match," he added. [caption id="attachment_159367" align="aligncenter" width="1280"] India refused to shake hands with Pakistan players[/caption] No handshake controversy Tensions between the two sides escalated after the Indian players chose not to participate in the traditional handshakes at the toss and after the match, as a mark of solidarity with the victims of the Pahalgam terror attack. Speaking about Tuesday’s victory over Sri Lanka, Talat said the win had brought a wave of positivity to the team. He added that if the side could maintain the right intensity for just two more matches, they had a strong chance of lifting the Asia Cup trophy. IND vs PAK: ‘No handshake’ was a message against Pahalgam terror, says skipper Suryakumar Yadav "We are very confident and the atmosphere in the camp (is good) given that we have been playing non-stop cricket for such a long time and the kind of options we have. "And, the good thing is that the players are being backed (by the management), unlike previous days when they were replaced if they were not performing. Now, only two matches are left. If we play two matches well, the trophy will be ours," he said confidently.
