Afridi also congratulated India for reaching their third World Cup final. "I would like to congratulate the Indian team and the whole (Indian) nation for this victory. I wish them all the best for the final," Afridi said after the match.

"At the same time, I want to say sorry to my nation. We tried our level best but couldn't make it. I am pleased with the way my team played throughout the competition."

Asked if he fears a backlash from the fans back home, Afridi said, "This time no one expected us to make the semifinal. I do not fear any negative reaction from the fans. They are the ones who cheer us and if they criticise us I think we have to take it in our stride".

"I am proud of my team. The guys have done a great job and the youngsters have stood out. Winning and losing is a part of the game. We played beyond expectations and I think we should be proud of it," he said.

The skipper thanked the board and the team management for helping him build a team that finally made the semifinals after going through some harrowing times in the past 10 months.

"We went through a bad phase in the last 10 months. But the way we built the team to make our way to the semifinals was commendable. I am thankful to the team management and the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) for helping us raise this talented team," he said.