Former Pakistani cricket stars have drawn a grim picture of their team’s chances in the highly anticipated India vs. Pakistan Asia Cup 2025 encounter. They say that the gap in quality and confidence between the two cricketing nations is getting worse.
Great players like Shahid Afridi, Ramiz Raja, and Shoaib Akhtar have called the match on Sunday, September 14, at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium a “reality check” for a side that has fallen far behind India. Shahid Afridi remarked on a Pakistan YouTube channel that even new Indian players have better body language than Pakistani players. He said this is because Indian players come “brimming with confidence” after their years of playing in home tournaments. Afridi added, “Their B team can even win the Asia Cup!”
Ramiz Raja agreed and said that Pakistan will need “nothing less than a miracle” to win. Shoaib Malik said the match would be an important “reality check,” while Shoaib Akhtar focused on Pakistan’s weak batting and warned that India’s strong bowling attack, which includes Jasprit Bumrah, will “expose” them.
The former players’ negative views are very different from those of Mike Hesson, Pakistan’s head coach, who recently said that spinner Mohammad Nawaz is “the best in the world.” The Pakistan Cricket Board and none of the current players have publicly responded to the legends’ harsh criticism. This means that the team will have to confront the high-pressure clash with their morale under public scrutiny. The next encounter is now more than simply a game; it’s a test of Pakistan’s place in world cricket, according to their own legends.