Australia captain Pat Cummins came up with an epic response for Pakistan’s Director of Cricket, Mohammad Hafeez, who had earlier stated that Pakistan played ‘better cricket’ despite their loss in the Boxing Day Test.

Australia vs Pakistan, Boxing Day Test: HIGHLIGHTS

Hafeez made a startling remark, claiming that his squad made numerous errors yet was the better team in Melbourne. The former Pakistan cricketer stated at the post-match press conference, “We played better cricket as a team. I’m proud of that. The way the team had the courage to attack this game in the best possible way. If I sum up the game, the Pakistan team played better than the other team in general.”

“Our batting intent was better, and while bowling, we were hitting the right areas. Yes, we made some mistakes that cost us the game but as a team I believe that there were a lot of positives, enough to win the game but unfortunately at the end we didn’t win the game,” he further added.

Cummins, however, brushed off these remarks with a simple “Ahh… cool. They played well,” followed by a smile, indicating that he was unfazed by the assertion.

Cummins further emphasized the outcome over the debate about which team played better, stating, “It doesn’t really matter, does it? It’s the team who wins at the end.” This bold reply came after Australia secured a 79-run victory in Boxing Day Test, taking an unassailable 2-0 lead in the series.

Pat Cummins closed 2023 with another feat: another Test series win as skipper and a second 10-wicket haul for his side in the game’s longest format. Cummins, who has won a World Test Championship, a World Cup, and the Ashes, has put Australia back at the forefront of world cricket.

The discussion around the match also touched upon the use of technology in decision-making, with Hafeez criticizing what he perceived as inconsistent umpiring and calling the Decision Review System (DRS) a “curse” on the game. He particularly highlighted the dismissal of Mohammad Rizwan, which became a turning point in the match. Rizwan was given out caught behind, a decision he contested, believing the ball had hit his forearm instead of the glove.

Despite Hafeez’s dissatisfaction with the DRS system and his belief that Pakistan had played better overall, Cummins defended the use of technology in cricket and suggested that decisions tend to balance out over time. The Australian skipper’s responses have been widely circulated and discussed, with many praising his ability to remain unruffled and focused on the results rather than getting drawn into a war of words.