In a candid assessment of the ongoing cricket tournament, former Pakistan cricketer Basit Ali delivered a characteristically blunt evaluation of both India’s troubled opener Abhishek Sharma and the beleaguered Pakistan cricket team. Despite Sharma's concerning performance marked by three consecutive ducks, Basit expressed admiration for the young Indian opener, referring to him as a 'match changer' who is simply waiting for the Super 8 matches to showcase his talent.

“The breaking news for me is that Abhishek scored the third zero,” Basit remarked on his YouTube channel, ‘TheBasitAliShow’. “He has made a record of 0-0-0, equalling the likes of Saeed Anwar and Atta-ur-Rehman.” However, he defended Sharma’s potential, making light of the criticism directed at his performance. “If he is a slogger, then give us one like him — ek humey bhi de do!” Basit passionately stated, contrasting it with the batting problems plaguing Pakistan.

Basit did not hold back in his critique of Pakistan’s management and selective accountability after their heavy defeat to India. He highlighted the pressure on Sahibzada Farhan to be dropped, questioning why only he was facing consequences for a bad shot when many others had also faltered in their performance. “A sacrifice goat is being made,” he declared angrily, underlining the need for a unified approach rather than scapegoating a single player.

Turning his attention to selection and strategy, Basit critiqued head coach Mike Hesson's decisions, expressing confusion over player selections and game-day tactics. “I don’t understand why Abrar Ahmed was not played. Is this Pakistan’s team or Mike Hesson’s team?” he probed, pointing out that a better understanding of conditions and opponent strategies was crucial for success.

Furthermore, he expressed discontent over the inclusion of multiple openers in the squad while Fakhar Zaman remained on the bench. “For me, it is painful,” he lamented. In a historical twist, he mentioned a curious fan theory indicating that Australia had historically struggled in the initial rounds of past tournaments, aligning with Pakistan's potential for an unexpected turnaround.

“India has beaten you like a child,” Basit concluded, reinforcing the starkness of the challenge ahead. “Their skill level, awareness, and temperament are way ahead of us. The team has to improve. There are a lot of questions about what they are doing to make cricket better,” he urged.