&imwidth=800&imheight=600&format=webp&quality=medium "Asia Cup: ‘This is not Pakistan team, this is some…’ Gavaskar doesn’t hold back in blasting PAK")
Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar didn’t mince his words while downplaying the under-performing Pakistan Team for their no-show against India in the recently concluded Group A Asia Cup 2025 match in Dubai on Sunday (Sep 14). Batting first, Pakistan posted a paltry 127 for nine in 20 overs, with India completing the chase with seven wickets remaining. Neither the batters nor the Pakistani bowlers performed in this high-profile game, with the contrast being such that opener Saim Ayub returned with three wickets and seamer Shaheen Afridi was among the top scorers (33*).
Launching a scathing attack on Pakistan in a strict post-match assessment, Gavaskar looked down at this weaker Pakistan team compared to the one from the past. Recalling covering distances during his childhood days (in the 60s) to watch Pakistan legend Hanif Mohammad bat, Gavaskar feels embarrassed analysing this Pakistani team take the field, which he called ‘Popatwadi'.
“I don’t know whether Ajay [Jadeja], Irfan [Pathan] and Veeru [Sehwag] will agree with me or not. But I have been watching Pakistan’s team since 1960, when I used to run from Churchgate station to Brabourne Stadium to see Hanif Mohammad sahab. And this time in this match, for the first time after years, I felt that this is not Pakistan’s team, this is some Popatwadi team,” Gavaskar remarked.
No-show from Pakistan
The Men in Green were no competition to the Indian Team in Sunday’s encounter. Without batting heavyweights like Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan, their batting got exposed on a two-paced Dubai track. Barring their opener, Sahibzada Farhan, who played a gritty knock of 40, none of the batters impressed.
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The case was the same among the bowlers.
Let alone Afridi, none of the frontline bowlers, including two specialist spinners in Abrar Ahmed and Sufiyan Muqeem, picked up a wicket, with part-timer Ayub bagging all three wickets.
