Champions Trophy: Pakistan's Stars Offer Humorous Take on Loss to India, Afridi Critiques Team's Outdated Mindset
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Synopsis
In a light-hearted take on Pakistan's recent defeat to India in the Champions Trophy, former players Shoaib Malik and Mohammad Hafeez shared their thoughts, humorously singing a Bollywood song. Afridi criticized the team's outdated mindset, emphasizing the need for modern strategies to succeed in cricket.
Key Takeaways
- Shoaib Malik and Mohammad Hafeez humorously analyzed Pakistan's loss with a Bollywood song.
- Virat Kohli played a crucial role in India's victory with an unbeaten century.
- Shahid Afridi criticized the team's outdated mentality and lack of preparation.
- The Pakistani squad's chances of advancing are now dependent on other teams' results.
- Former players expressed their disappointment over the team's recent performance.
New Delhi, Feb 24 (NationPress) Former captain Shoaib Malik and ex-allrounder Mohammad Hafeez provided an entertaining commentary on host Pakistan's six-wicket defeat to their arch-rivals India in the Champions Trophy group match on Sunday, lamenting the loss with a Bollywood classic ‘Dil Ke Armaan Aansuon Me Beh Gaye'.
The star batter Virat Kohli played a pivotal role, scoring an unbeaten 100 off 111 balls, leading India to a decisive six-wicket victory in Dubai. Kohli’s innings featured seven boundaries and was crucial in successfully chasing down Pakistan’s target of 242 in just 42.3 overs.
After the defeat, former fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar shared a behind-the-scenes clip from a TV studio featuring Malik and Hafeez, and inquired about Malik's thoughts on Pakistan's loss. The former skipper humorously began singing the Bollywood song 'Dil Ke Armaan Aansuon Me Bah Gaye... hum wafa karke bhi tanha reh gaye...'
When Akhtar sought Hafeez's analysis, he jokingly continued the lyrics with 'Reh Gayeee'. The video also showcased the female presenter Zainab Abbas joining in, singing - 'Ab to aadat si hai mujhko, aise jeene mein'.
Former all-rounder Shahid Afridi criticized Pakistan's outdated mentality and lack of strategic planning against top teams in this major tournament. He stated, "If you approach cricket with a mindset from the 1980s-90s in 2025, you will not see favorable outcomes... Since 2017, what significant achievements have we accomplished in ICC events or Asia Cups?"
"We often discuss preparations, yet we frequently lack clarity on who our opener will be. In our own conditions, we were uncertain whether to field more spinners or fast bowlers... What kind of mindset are we batting with?" Afridi expressed on a local news channel.
Kohli made a remarkable return to form, scoring his 51st ODI century, thereby bringing India closer to securing a semi-finals position. India entered the match as favorites and validated that status with an impressive bowling display that restricted Pakistan to 241 in 49.4 overs. Kuldeep Yadav excelled with figures of 3-40, while Hardik Pandya contributed significantly with 2-31.
"You are competing against a world-class team, and your attack is your defense. We couldn't even manage to control Virat Kohli, who is approaching retirement. Batting continues to be a challenge in every segment," Afridi added.
Legendary batter Mohammad Yousuf expressed his disappointment regarding the loss, stating, "We have invested our hearts and efforts into progressing this team. The last 5-6 years have exposed the flaws in our system. We've switched captains so frequently that the team could never find stability."
Former captain of the women's team Sana Mir was particularly critical of Pakistan's squad for the tournament, mentioning, "We had already lost half the tournament the moment we announced our 15-man squad. This is a team where even captains like MS Dhoni, Younis Khan, or other prominent players wouldn't have much impact."
Pakistan's chances of progressing to the semi-finals are now hanging by a slim thread, as they are entirely reliant on the outcomes of other teams in the group.
