Support your Pakistan team in the Asia Cup 2025

[tiger_khan]

I know we all are passionate about cricket and the Pakistani team.
However, a lot of our anger (when our team is not doing well) is actually a projection of what we hear on screens by the media personalities (ex-cricketers and other analysts). Please form your own opinions.

Bear in mind that many media houses have part ownerships in PSL cricket teams. In order to get their players in the Pak eleven they go overboard in their criticism. Needless to say, some influencers try to milk your eyeballs for the views.

One such example was on display when the Pakistani journos put unwarranted extra pressure on Saim Ayub during the pre-match presser (Pak vs India clash). Those questions could have been framed a different way. An Indian journalist would have never asked such a question to an out of form young Indian openner...and Indian team would have never thrown a young out of form player to such an import presser.

We can always criticize the team and its selection after the tournament. Now is the time to support them.

Granted these kids are not as talented as their predecessors but they deserve a chance and our support.

I know people get very emotional when it comes to Babar and Rizwan. Peiple have different opinions on the matter.
Mine is that they served their country well and now is the time to concentrate on future.

I do believe that the current lot is reasonably talented with the excepption of a few. If we support them, they might produce results in the long run.

It is also my honest opinion that if your really want Pakistani players well on the international stage then you need to invest more time on the job and financial security of our first-class cricketers. The time we ruled the world, was the time when our domestic players had job security.

Thanks for reading my post.

 

[Shafikapeo]

When a team wins, the same support it enjoys also comes with just as much pressure—and just as much criticism. In Pakistan, senior players often sit around abusing their juniors just to make themselves look bigger, and the Pakistani media keeps giving them the spotlight.


The truth is, you’ve never really had a proper system. Even back in the ’90s, what you had was a few out-of-the-box talented players—someone or the other would click on a given day and Pakistan would snatch a win. But that magic isn’t happening anymore. That’s why your senior players keep repeating on talk shows that Pakistan has “so much talent.”


But in today’s era, talent alone means nothing. You need a proper system—scientific, practical, logical, technical—one that develops players in skills and technique. Whether you bring in Babar Azam or even the great Wasim Akram, without a real system this Pakistani team can’t truly compete against the big sides.


Yes, support must always be there—no sport can survive long-term without it. I myself didn’t want India to play in the Asia Cup, but I’m not one of those who’ll refuse to watch just because there was no boycott. India is my team; it represents my country. Whether we win or lose, whether we play Pakistan or Bangladesh, I’ll watch and support. And you Pakistani fans should keep supporting your team too.

 

[tiger_khan]

When a team wins, the same support it enjoys also comes with just as much pressure—and just as much criticism. In Pakistan, senior players often sit around abusing their juniors just to make themselves look bigger, and the Pakistani media keeps giving them the spotlight.


The truth is, you’ve never really had a proper system. Even back in the ’90s, what you had was a few out-of-the-box talented players—someone or the other would click on a given day and Pakistan would snatch a win. But that magic isn’t happening anymore. That’s why your senior players keep repeating on talk shows that Pakistan has “so much talent.”


But in today’s era, talent alone means nothing. You need a proper system—scientific, practical, logical, technical—one that develops players in skills and technique. Whether you bring in Babar Azam or even the great Wasim Akram, without a real system this Pakistani team can’t truly compete against the big sides.


Yes, support must always be there—no sport can survive long-term without it. I myself didn’t want India to play in the Asia Cup, but I’m not one of those who’ll refuse to watch just because there was no boycott. India is my team; it represents my country. Whether we win or lose, whether we play Pakistan or Bangladesh, I’ll watch and support. And you Pakistani fans should keep supporting your team too.

Actually, Pakistan had a very good system in the 80s and at least until mid 90s when I left the country.
Cricket fans, particularly out of Pakistan are given the impression that many of Pak legends have not been the part of domestic structure and were picked out of the blue by either Imran Khan or Javed Miandad. Imran and Javed have been telling these stories because they make the anecdotes interesting. Their intentions are not sinister. They just want to add gravy to the anecdotes.

The truth is that Wasim Akram was already playing first-class cricket for PACO (Pakistan Automobiles Corportaion) before he made the debut for Pakistan. Waqar Younis was playing for UBL (United Bank Limited) for more than a year with Inzimam ul Haq and Mushtaq Ahmad. All three of the latter played for PAkistan under-19 before they made debut for Pakistan regular team. Their under-19 series with the Indian under-19 team was televised. They all played for Pakistan after a minimum of one year of domestic first-class cricket. Inzimam actually might have had more than a couple of years first-class cricket before he played for Pakistan. The stats of quite a few PAkistani legends on cricinfo are wrong.

Things started going south when the number of first-class teams start getting reduced after the 90s and now most of the first-class players have next to nothing when it comes to job security.

Unlike India, Pakistan never relied on School Cricket but Intra-city Zonal Under 14 and Under 19 competitions. They were reasonably organized along with the club cricket. By the time a player of talent was 16, he was already recognized.

All that has gone down the drain now - that's why we are getting weaker every day.

In summary, there is not a single Pakistani legend who was not a product of Pakistani domestic cricket system.

 

[Rana]

I know people get very emotional when it comes to Babar and Rizwan. Peiple have different opinions on the matter.
Mine is that they served their country well and now is the time to concentrate on future.

This part I don’t agree with.

Babar and Rizwan never served their country well in T20s

They only served themselves.

Rizwan refused to vacate his opening spot and even went on air to say that it’s Babar’s heart that is big for letting Saim open in his position.

Sorry, selfish people do not count as those who served the country well!

 

[tiger_khan]

This part I don’t agree with.

Babar and Rizwan never served their country well in T20s

They only served themselves.

Rizwan refused to vacate his opening spot and even went on air to say that it’s Babar’s heart that is big for letting Saim open in his position.

Sorry, selfish people do not count as those who served the country well!

I partly agree with you. I think it's true that the Pakistani T20 team could afford only one of these two players, not both of them simultaneously. Particularly the point of time when both of them were opening for Pakistan when Fakhar Zaman and Sharjeel were available - was unfair. They have particularly affected Fakhar's career.

However, since the PCB management was also responsible to make openers out of these two and they did produce some results (perhaps not as much as you and I wanted them to), we can't put the blame squarely on Babar and Rizwan only.

Let's face it...if you and I are offered to open for Pakistan (if we were professional cricketers - batsmen), we would take it. No professional would let that opportunity escape from his hands.