"Down And Depressed": Pakistan Face Brutal Criticism Despite Win Over UAE In Asia Cup

Wasim Akram revealed that he was left 'depressed' by Pakistan's disappointing performance during the Asia Cup 2025 match against India. Although the Salman Ali Agha-led side defeated UAE to book their Super Four spot, the legendary Pakistan cricket team fast bowler could not help but mention the way Pakistan crumbled against India. Akram also pointed out that the Pakistan batters struggled once again against UAE bowlers with Fakhar Zaman being the only batter with a 30-plus score. 

"Of course, we feel like every other Pakistani. We love our cricket, and winning or losing is part of the game, I know that from having played so much for Pakistan. But the way we lost to India, in such a one-sided game, was tough to take. Even today, you could see the players under pressure, with technical faults showing. I'm human too, and at times it does leave me feeling down and depressed."

Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha has called on his team to sharpen their batting in the middle overs as they gear up for a high-stakes Asia Cup Super Four clash against India on September 21.
His comments came after Pakistan's 41-run victory over the UAE, a result that sealed their place in the next stage of the tournament but did little to hide the batting frailties that continue to dog the side.

"We got the job done but we needed to bat better in the middle overs," Agha said after the game. "The bowlers did well. We haven't batted to our best yet. If we batted well, we would have ended up with 170-180. Shaheen is a match winner. His batting has improved. Abrar has been outstanding. He is someone who is bringing us back into the games. We are ready for any challenge. If we play good cricket, we can be good against any side."

Pakistan managed only 146/9 against the UAE, rescued by a late surge from Shaheen Shah Afridi, who struck an unbeaten 29 off 14 balls. The top and middle order, however, once again failed to fire. Saim Ayub is yet to open his account in three matches, while Agha himself has struggled to impose authority in the middle overs.

The skipper reiterated that turning those phases into strong batting passages remains critical. "Yeah, we're ready for any challenge," Agha said. "We just want to play good cricket, and if we play good cricket like we've been playing for the last few months."

(With IANS inputs)

Topics mentioned in this article

Pakistan Cricket Team India Cricket Team United Arab Emirates Asia Cup 2025 Wasim Akram Cricket