Former Pakistani fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar did not hold back in his criticism of Pakistan’s cricket management following their six-wicket loss to India in the Champions Trophy 2025 in Dubai. Expressing his frustration, he labeled the management as lacking direction and unable to make sound strategic decisions.
The former pacer pointed out that the decision to field a team overloaded with all-rounders backfired, and he felt that the team was chasing an elusive sense of ‘intent’ rather than focusing on matching the technical prowess of India’s key players like Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and Shubman Gill. According to him, the responsibility lays with the management, not the players, as they were not given a clear and effective game plan.
Here’s what Shoaib Akhtar said in the video, “I am not disappointed at all because I knew what would happen. You can’t select five bowlers, the whole world is playing six bowlers… you go with two all-rounders but this is just brainless and clueless management. I am really disappointed. We can’t blame the kids; they are just like the management—they don’t know what to do. The intent is a different thing, they don’t have the skillsets like Rohit, Virat, and Shubman. Neither they know anything, nor the management. They have just gone to play without any clear direction. No one knows what they should do.”
Here is the video:
https://x.com/shoaib100mph/status/1893706312225071395
Click to watch this video directly on X
Pakistan’s struggle was evident as they managed only 241 runs in the first innings, a total that India comfortably chased down with more than seven overs to spare. Virat Kohli’s unbeaten century ensured India’s dominance in the match, leaving Pakistan with slim chances of making it to the semi-finals of their home tournament. The loss further compounded their woes, pushing them into a difficult situation in the league stage.
Shoaib Akhtar had already voiced his disappointment in a video posted after the first innings, lamenting Pakistan’s inability to produce a player with the impact of Australia’s Glenn Maxwell. He stressed that the team needed someone who could take charge and play a defining innings but they simply lacked the necessary skills to do so.
Shoaib Akhtar said, “This was the batting. We all know the capability of this batting lineup. They can only show intent when they have the skillset. When they don’t have the skillset how can they do what Glenn Maxwell did (against Afghanistan in the 2023 World Cup)… just intent isn’t enough. You need intent, skillset and the execution, only then can you put up a good score. But this was Pakistan’s batting for you.”
Watch the video:
https://x.com/shoaib100mph/status/1893661914821017673
Click here to watch this video directly on X
Pakistan’s next and final league-stage match will be against Bangladesh on February 27. Their semi-final hopes now rest on a complex scenario — Bangladesh must defeat New Zealand and Pakistan must secure a massive win over Bangladesh to improve their Net Run Rate and keep their qualification hopes alive.
