The Dubai International Cricket Stadium, a venue that has witnessed countless Pakistani heartbreaks, served up another dose of agony on Sunday as the Men in Green fell to a comprehensive 5-wicket defeat against arch-rivals India in the Asia Cup 2025 final. While the scoreboard will show a straightforward Indian victory, the nature of Pakistan's performance has ignited a firestorm of criticism, with former speedster Shoaib Akhtar launching a scathing attack on the team's management and leadership.
The match began with Pakistan appearing to be in cruise control, but the innings unravelled dramatically, culminating in a paltry total of 146 runs. India, led by a composed Tilak Varma, chased down the target with relative ease, leaving a nation of cricket fans dejected. In the aftermath, Akhtar, never one to mince his words, took centre stage and delivered a brutal assessment of the team's "horrid show."
A Scathing Indictment of "Senseless Coaching"
Directing his fury at the team's think-tank, Akhtar placed the blame squarely on the shoulders of the management, with a particular focus on head coach Mike Hesson. In a blistering critique on the platform Tapmad, the 'Rawalpindi Express' did not hold back.
"It is the fault of the management that is not thinking right," Akhtar declared. "Talking about senseless coaching, I would probably say, sorry to say these kinds of harsh words, but it's senseless coaching."
He expressed the collective disappointment of the nation, stating, "It was a Super Sunday, and the whole nation was watching, but our middle order is already a problem. You know it, I know it, we all keep saying our top three batsmen in the middle are a problem." His comments highlighted a long-standing issue that, in his view, the current coaching setup has failed to address, leading to a predictable and costly collapse on the biggest stage.
Akhtar Questions Salman Ali Agha's Captaincy
Beyond the coaching staff, Akhtar also trained his sights on stand-in captain Salman Ali Agha, whose tactical decisions during the Indian chase came under intense scrutiny. The former pacer singled out a critical bowling change that he believed swung the momentum irrevocably in India's favour.
"Captaincy is questionable. Bowling changes – when the batters were struggling facing spinners, there was no need to bring in Haris Rauf; he leaked 17 runs in an over, which was not needed," Akhtar analysed.
This moment proved to be a turning point. With Indian batters seemingly unsettled by the spinners, the decision to introduce the pace of Rauf backfired spectacularly, releasing all the built-up pressure and allowing India to canter towards their target.
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