The much-anticipated India-Pakistan match in the Asia Cup 2025 is scheduled for September 14th. Anticipation runs high among fans for this clash. However, former Pakistani cricketer Basit Ali has made a startling statement regarding the match. Ali expressed concern over Pakistan’s recent performance and admitted that he hopes India declines to play against Pakistan in the Asia Cup to avoid a potential embarrassment.
Ali’s comments stem from Pakistan’s poor showing against the West Indies, where they lost the three-match ODI series 2-1. In the third and final ODI, Pakistan was bowled out for a mere 92 runs while chasing a target of 295. Speaking on the YouTube channel ‘The Game Plan,’ Ali stated, “I pray that India refuses to play against Pakistan in the Asia Cup, similar to their decision in the World Championship of Legends. If that doesn’t happen, they will thrash us so badly that you can’t even imagine.”
The host of the YouTube channel humorously pointed out that Pakistan struggles even against Afghanistan. Ali responded by saying, “If we lose to Afghanistan, nobody in the country will care, but if our team loses to India, everyone will go crazy.”
The Asia Cup 2025 is set to commence on September 9th. India and Pakistan have been placed in the same group. Both teams are yet to announce their squads. Before the ODI series, Pakistan played a three-match T20 series against the West Indies, which they won 2-1.
In the ODI series against the West Indies, Salman Ali Agha scored the most runs for Pakistan in the third match with 30 runs. Pakistan’s top order faltered, with Sam Ayub, Abdullah Shafique, and captain Mohammad Rizwan failing to score any runs. Babar Azam was dismissed after scoring 9 runs. The performance of Pakistan in the upcoming Asia Cup 2025 remains to be seen.
Meanwhile, India recently concluded a five-match test series against England, which ended in a 2-2 draw. Fans are now eagerly awaiting India’s performance in the Asia Cup 2025, with India being considered a strong contender to win the tournament.