Former Pakistan star urges India to skip Asia Cup clash After Pakistan’s ODI collapse

Pakistan suffered a humiliating defeat in the ODI series decider against the West Indies at Tarouba, folding for just 92 while chasing a target of 295. After a convincing five-wicket win in the opening match, Mohammad Rizwan’s side stumbled in the second game and then crumbled spectacularly in the third.

The batting order fell apart from the very start, with Saim Ayub, Abdullah Shafique, and captain Rizwan all dismissed for ducks within the first three overs. Babar Azam managed just 9 runs, while Salman Agha top-scored with 30 before being sent back. The innings ended in only 29.2 overs, with Jayden Seales wreaking havoc through figures of 6/18 in 7.2 overs.

Former Pakistan cricketers voiced sharp criticism after the loss. Shoaib Akhtar lashed out at the batters, saying they can’t expect “fly home” pitches everywhere. Basit Ali, however, went further, expressing hope that India refuses to face Pakistan in the upcoming Asia Cup.

“I pray India decide not to play us in the Asia Cup, just like in the World Championships of Legends. They’ll beat us so badly you can’t even imagine,” Basit said on The Game Plan YouTube channel. The host quipped that Pakistan might even struggle against Afghanistan, to which Basit replied, “If we lose to Afghanistan, people won’t care much. But losing to India drives the entire nation mad.”

While the ODI defeat has drawn intense scrutiny, the Asia Cup will be in the T20 format, where Pakistan has generally fared better. They recently defeated the West Indies 2-1 in a T20I series under Salman Agha’s leadership, with neither Babar Azam nor Mohammad Rizwan playing. This trend is expected to continue in the Asia Cup, set to be hosted in the UAE as a build-up to next year’s T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka.

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