Pakistan lost to India by six wickets in the Asia Cup Super 4 clash.
Asked to bat first, the Men in Green posted 171/5 in their allotted 20 overs, courtesy of Sahibzada Farhan’s half-century (58 off 45) and Faheem Ashraf’s unbeaten cameo (20* off 8).
In reply, the Indian opening duo of Abhishek Sharma (74 off 39) and Shubman Gill (47 off 28) took the Pakistani bowling attack to the cleaners, sharing a fiery 105-run stand to propel the defending champions over the line with seven deliveries to spare.
This was Pakistan’s seventh straight defeat to India, and their second against the arch-rivals in the ongoing continental tournament.
No wonder, the outcome left the Pakistan cricket fraternity fuming. Former speedster Shoaib Akhtar was disappointed that he went on to question the team selection and captain Salman Ali Agha’s role in the side.
“I really don’t understand what the management is thinking. Wrong decisions are being made repeatedly. The middle order isn’t planned properly, and the powerplay isn’t being utilized effectively," Akhtar said on Tapmad’s post-match show.
“Bowlers are also not being used wisely. There was no coordination, the lines and lengths were poor—starting with a bad bouncer, and then things just kept getting worse," he added.
The Rawalpindi Express was critical of Agha’s leadership, slamming him for batting failures and wrong decisions.
“Salman ko khud nahi pata wo kya kaptaani kar raha hai (Salman himself doesn’t know what he’s been doing). He is the weakest link. Does he even deserve the spot he is playing at? What does he do? He could be good boy but what does he produce? Does he perform like Tilak Varma or Hardik Pandya? On top of that, he takes wrong decisions that further put the team in trouble," Akhtar stated.
Shoaib Akhtar further accused the management of leaving match-winners out of the XI and trusting those who don’t contribute much in the team’s victory.
“Players who can actually win matches for Pakistan—like Hasan Nawaz or Wasim Junior—are left out. Instead, players who neither justify their position nor contribute meaningfully are given opportunities," Akhtar said.
“The team is paying the price for the captain and management’s repeated mistakes. And all the blame, ultimately, lies with the management," he further remarked.
Pakistan are now facing a must-win situation in the remaining Super 4 games to stay alive in the Asia Cup 2025. They will take on Sri Lanka in their next match in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday (September 23).