Pakistan cricket team in action© AFP
Former Pakistan cricket team star Basit Ali once again took aim at Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and chairman Mohsin Naqvi following the team's recent struggles. Pakistan suffered a humiliating Test series loss against Bangladesh months after crashing out of the T20 World Cup 2024 group stages. The results have put a lot of pressure on the Pakistan cricketers who are also getting criticised by both fans and experts alike. Basit slammed Naqvi's leadership and said that "promises made to fix Pakistan's cricket are nothing but gimmicks". He further referenced similar views presented by Indian cricketers like Sourav Ganguly and Ravichandran Ashwin to boost his view on the situation.
Both Ganguly and Ashwin have recently spoken about Pakistan's recent downfall when it comes to international cricket.
"Mohsin Naqvi, please open your eyes. You say that you will fix Pakistan's cricket, but it cannot happen like this. It is the bitter truth. People criticize me when I speak about Yasir Shah. Ravichandran Ashwin has said the same thing, expressing surprise over the dearth of spinners in Pakistan. I may be wrong, but is Ashwin also wrong? Even Sourav Ganguly spoke about how Pakistan cricket has deteriorated. The promises made to fix Pakistan's cricket are nothing but gimmicks," he said on YouTube.
Meanwhile, Saeed Ajmal said Pakistan and India should play cricket matches against each other in their respective countries, citing that there is a lot of love between the two nations.
Pakistan last toured India in 2012/13 for a three-match T20I series and as many ODI games. India last played in Pakistan in 2008, when the Asia Cup was held there. Since 2007, there has been no Test series between the two teams. The dip in ties between the two nations has meant that India and Pakistan only play against each other in multi-nation events.
"Even if the India versus Pakistan match happens on the moon, it will be huge. There is a lot of love between India and Pakistan and we must go to each other's countries," said Ajmal .