Former Pakistan cricketer Basit Ali is hoping that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) refuse to play the Men in Green in the upcoming Asia Cup 2025, to spare them the humiliation. Ali’s comments came in after the Mohammad Rizwan-led side were bowled out for paltry 92 while chasing West Indies’ 294/6 in the third ODI in Trinidad recently.
Pakistan’s 202-run loss came as a new low for the country as they lost a bilateral ODI series against the Caribbean for the first time in 34 years. After taking a 1-0 lead in the first match, Pakistan slumped to two back-to-back losses to return empty handed in the 50-over format.
Analysing one of Pakistan’s worst losses in ODI cricket alongside another former cricketer Kamran Akmal in The Game Plan YouTube channel, Ali ripped apart Rizwan’s boys. He also hoped that India back out from playing Pakistan in Asia Cup 2025 just like they did in World Championship of Legends (WCL) last month.
“I pray India refuse to play against Pakistan in the Asia Cup, just like how they did at the World Championships of Legends. Itni buri tarah maarenge na vo, ki aapki soch hai (They will beat us so badly you can’t even imagine),” Basit said as the host had a wry smile on his face.
In the WCL 2025 recently, India refused to play Pakistan twice, including in the semifinals in protest against the Pahalgam terror attack that took 26 innocent lives on April 22. Ali also pointed out that a loss to India would spark a nationwide outrage.
“If we lose to Afghanistan, no one would care much in this country. But everyone goes mad the moment you lose to India,” he added.
India’s Asia Cup 2025 schedule
In the Asia Cup 2025, India have been grouped with Pakistan in Group A, amidst calls for the BCCI to boycott the clash. The all-important India vs Pakistan clash in Asia Cup 2025 is scheduled for September 14 in Dubai. The two teams could meet two times more in the tournament – one during the Super Four stage and another in the final if all goes well.