Shoaib Akhtar's Hilarious "Ameer Bacha, Gareeb Bacha' Take On India's T20 World Cup Campaign
Throughout the tournament, India barely put a foot wrong-barring a sole defeat to South Africa in the Super 8-dispatching their opponents with clinical dominance and panache.
Former Pakistan pacer Shoaib Akhtar had a hilarious take on India's dominant performance in the recently concluded T20 World Cup. Under the leadership of Suryakumar Yadav, India hammered New Zealand by 96 runs in the final on Sunday to lift a record third T20 World Cup trophy. Throughout the tournament, India barely put a foot wrong, barring a sole defeat to South Africa in the Super 8, dispatching their opponents with clinical dominance and panache. Speaking on the 'Game On Hai' show on PTV Sports, Akhtar compared India's dominance to a neighborhood power dynamic.
"India ne koshish ki, jaise ameer bacha nahi hota mohalle me, jo saare gareeb bacho ko bula leta hai, 'aao cricket khele'. Jeetna sirf maine hai. India bhi wahi kar raha hai humare saath. 8 teams me se 4 reh gayi hai, unko hara ke kehta hai, lo me jeet gaya (India tried, just like that rich kid in the neighborhood who invites all the poor kids for a game of cricket just to beat them. India is doing the same thing to us. Out of 8 teams, only 4 are left; they beat them and then say, 'Look, I won')," said Akhtar.
The legendary pacer also praised the overall structure of Indian cricket, highlighting the incredible abundance within their talent pool.
"It is the testament of their policies, system and merit. There could have been a case where money was not utilised properly. Gautam Gambhir took the risk and brought Sanju Samson into the mix. Abhishek Sharma is young and brash; he needs to learn a lot. But Samson is very mature," said Akhtar.
Furthermore, he backed India as the favorites for the 2027 ODI World Cup, noting that the signs are "ominous" for other nations given India's current quality and immense bench strength.
"India showed how they give chances to the right players. Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli said goodbye and now India have gone on to win the World Cup. With the speed they are going, it's ominous," he added.
"If you get the trophy today, take it today only."
India Cricket Team