Former Pakistan cricketer Basit Ali lashed out at the national team after their ODI series loss to the West Indies, getting skittled out for a modest 92 in the decider in Tarouba, Trinidad. Pakistan will feature in the Asia Cup next month and there isn’t much hope from the faithful for their side.
The troubled waters the Pakistan cricket team finds itself in has meant that the faithful are being pragmatic with respect to their hopes and expectations about their side’s performance in the Asia Cup next month. Pakistan just had a 92-run shootout against the West Indies, who didn’t have a home international season to remember, but the hosts made sure to end it on the highest of highs possible, a 2-1 victory and a 202-run win in the decider, no less.
Pakistan did win the T20I series 2-1, but there were more questions than answers about the white-ball team after the end of the whole assignment and former cricketer, Basit Ali, hoped that India cancels the Asia Cup match between the two neighbours, out of sheer embarrassment as to how badly the latter will fare against the T20 World Cup and Champions Trophy winners.
“I pray India refuse to play against Pakistan in the Asia Cup, just like how they did at the World Championships of Legends. Itni buri tarah maarenge na vo, ki aapki soch hai (They will beat us so badly you can’t even imagine),” Basit said on The Game Plan YouTube channel. The host of the show was then surprised that Ali took India’s name directly, as he hoped that Pakistan wouldn’t lose to Afghanistan, who reached the semi-finals of the T20 World Cup last year, but Basit had a worthy argument ready.
“If we lose to Afghanistan, no one would care much in this country. But everyone goes mad the moment you lose to India,” Basit added. Since Mike Hesson took over the white-ball side, Pakistan have played three T20I assignments, winning two of them, while the ODI performance will demand accountability from the players alike.
The uncertainty hangs over the possibility of the clash, given that the WCL 2025 matches were called off a day before; however, if it does happen, the pressure will be huge on the Men in Green. They have played around with their T20 side, having axed the likes of Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan, with players such as Saim Ayub and Sahubzada Farhan doing well, but they are still seeking consistency, in the hope of building a team for the T20 World Cup next year.