Shoaib Akhtar on Champions Trophy disaster: 'Only talking about Pakistan cricket team because I am getting paid'

Shoaib Akhtar was deeply disappointed with Pakistan’s loss to India in the 2025 Champions Trophy. He stated that he has no interest in discussing the team but is compelled to do so due to his media commitments. Akhtar also called Babar Azam a fraud. read more

Shoaib Akhtar did not hold back in his criticism of Pakistan cricket team, Image: PTV Sports

Shoaib Akhtar has called Babar Azam a “fraud” as the Pakistan batter continues to struggle for form, with his latest failure coming against arch-rivals India in the Champions Trophy 2025. Babar has only scored one fifty in the last five matches and has been under severe criticism from experts in Pakistan after they lost to India on Sunday.

Team India thrashed Pakistan by six wickets in a Champions Trophy 2025 group stage match in Dubai and are unbeaten against their neighbours since 2018 in ODIs.

Advertisement

Champions Trophy 2025: News | Schedule | Results | Points Table

In the aftermath of another loss for Pakistan, former pacer Akhtar put the spotlight on the unfair comparison between Virat Kohli and Babar. Kohli hit an unbeaten century in India’s latest win over Pakistan.

Akhtar said Babar has been following wrong examples all along and his batting has been exposed. “We always compare Babar Azam to Virat Kohli. Now tell me who is hero of Virat Kohli? Sachin Tendulkar and he has scored 100 centuries and Virat is chasing his legacy,” Akhtar said on the Pakistani show “Game On Hai.”

“Who is Babar Azam’s hero? Tuk tuk (name not shared by Akhtar). You have picked the wrong heroes. Your thought process is wrong. You were a fraud from the beginning.”

Nah Shoaib Akhtar called Babar Azam a fraud openly 😭😭😭😭😭 pic.twitter.com/w2Qhvg1qV9 — -invader 🇵🇸 (@sshayaannn) February 24, 2025

Advertisement

Akhtar also said that he doesn’t wish to talk about the Pakistan cricket team but is forced to do so as he has taken up the job of an expert.

“I would not even wish to talk about Pakistan cricket team. I am only doing this because I am getting paid,” he said. “This is a waste of time. This deterioration I am seeing since 2001. I have worked with the captains, whose personality used to change thrice a day.”

Akhtar reserved special praise for Kohli, who brought up his 51st century against Pakistan. “We have seen this in the past. When you tell Virat Kohli that he has to play against Pakistan, he will score a century. Hats off to him, he’s like a superstar,” Akhtar added.

Advertisement

“He’s a white ball run chaser. Modern-day great. No doubt about him. I’m very happy for him. He deserves all the praise."

Pakistan have since been knocked out of the Champions Trophy 2025 as New Zealand and India qualified for the semi-finals from Group A of the tournament.

Click here to read article