Saqlain Mushtaq smells ‘MATCH-FIXING’ in West Indies vs South Africa T20 World Cup match

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West Indies Mohammad Hafeez and Saqlain Mushtaq clashed after Pakistan defeat

The West Indies suffered a crushing nine-wicket loss to South Africa in their T20 World Cup 2026 Super 8 match in Ahmedabad on February 26. This massive loss severely dented their semifinal chances, as they now have to beat India in their final Super 8 round to make it to the top 4.

West Indies’ big selection gamble backfires against South Africa in T20 World Cup 2026 Super 8 game

The West Indies made the big blunder by dropping in-form bowler Akeal Hosein for Roston Chase, and now they must be hoping that they will not pay a heavy price for this call. Their bowling attack looked just as ruthless, as only Chase could take a single wicket against South Africa.

South Africa displayed full power and full control as they chased 177 like true champions and stayed unbeaten in the ongoing T20 World Cup 2026. Things went wrong for the West Indies from the start. At one stage, they were struggling at 83 for 7 in their crucial Super 8 match.

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But Romario Shepherd refused to give up. He played with heart and courage and smashed his maiden T20I fifty. Jason Holder supported him with a brilliant knock of 49 runs. Together, they added 89 runs and pushed West Indies to 176 for 8, which was a fighting total.

South Africa’s power show

Chasing the target, the South African batters were absolutely brutal. Aiden Markram (82*) and Quinton de Kock (47*) attacked from the first over. They added 95 runs in just 48 balls for the first wicket, and this partnership broke the West Indies’ hopes at the Narendra Modi Stadium.

Roston Chase finally removed de Kock in the eighth over. But then Ryan Rickelton continued the attack against the hapless West Indies attack. Rickelton played smart shots and scored 45 runs from 28 balls, while Markram guided the chase perfectly.

Rickelton and Markram built an unbeaten 82-run stand and finished the match inside 17 overs. They remain unbeaten and look like serious title contenders. But this embarrassing loss exposed the West Indies’ weakness and strategy at the crucial stage of the tournament.

Saqlain Mushtaq drops bombshell after Ahmedabad shocker

Following the Ahmedabad game, the former Pakistan spinner Saqlain Mushtaq questioned the West Indies team’s plans and their sudden changes. He pointed out that the West Indies changed their combination completely, saying they made a big blunder by dropping Akeal Hosein for Chase.

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Saqlain felt the bowlers looked very ordinary against the Proteas side, and the way the West Indies ended the match felt something was not right, hinting at match-fixing to help India qualify for the semifinal. He was shocked that Hosein was suddenly dropped for such a big match.

Saqlain Mushtaq said on Tapmad: “West Indies have changed all their plans. They made Akeal Hosein sit out and brought in someone else (Chase). All the bowlers were looking very ordinary today.”

From domination to complete bowling disaster

Just a few days ago, this same team played powerful and attacking cricket and thrashed Zimbabwe by more than 100 runs, but against South Africa, that fearless side looked like a different side. Saqlain said they lacked the energy, and the plans did not click.

Mushtaq added, “And the way they have finished the match, it doesn’t look like they are the West Indies, the same team who played very dominant cricket just a few days ago. And today they played very ordinary cricket.”