Pakistan's captain Sarfraz Ahmed reacts as he leaves the field after being dismissed during the one day international cricket match of Asia Cup between India and Pakistan in Dubai | Photo Credit: AP

New Delhi: Two wins and three defeats (including twice versus India) - that describes Pakistan's humiliating journey in the UAE for the Asia Cup 2018. The Champions Trophy 2017 winners, who were backed by even a few former Indian cricketers to win the trophy overhauling the mighty Indian team, signed off on a disappointing and a indignifying note with a 37-run loss to Bangladesh in what was their last chance in their flickering campaign to reach the final and gain a shot at redemption. Pressure is finally on, for skipper Sarfraz Ahmed is sitting as the cynosure of Pakistan's dismal exit and he revealed that he has been having sleepless nights during the tournament.

Pakistan had started off on a great note, ruthlessly thrashing minnows Hong Kong with their fierce bowling attack. Their second win came against Afghanistan but riding on just Shoaib Malik's heroism as Pakistan escaped from jaws of humiliation with a three-wicket win. But amid those two wins came their three defeats - twice against India and once against Bangladesh. In Asia Cup 2018, Sarfraz himself wasn't impressive enough with the willow. In fact, since his stellar fifty against Sri Lanka in Champions Trophy 2017, his averaged slumped to 17.2. In 2018, he scored just one fifty, in January, against New Zealand.

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Amid Pakistan's Asia Cup 2018 journey and after their exit, ample questions are being raised over Sarfraz's captaincy and admitted to the intense pressure that he is facing, resulting in sleepless nights. "Look, the pressures of captaincy are always there," he said after Pakistan's defeat on Wednesday. "Pakistani captains, whoever they are, always have pressure. Obviously, when you aren't performing and the team is losing then there is more pressure.

"The truth is that if I say I haven't slept for the last six nights nobody will believe me but… this is part of life and it will go on. I will say again we don't need to press the panic button."

Underfire after the exit, Sarfraz has received the wrath from fans and from former Pakistani cricketers, but Sourav Ganguly has extended support towards the wicketkeeper. Speaking to Pakistan’s Geo News programme ‘Pakistan-India Takra’, the former cricketer said: “Sarfraz is a courageous player and the way he captained the team during the Champions Trophy last year was impeccable. He is a great captain and cricketers like him are not born every day.”