Pakistan became arrogant after beating India; players ignored coaches, only looked at phones: ‘No one better than us’

Pakistan’s sharp dip in performance could be attributed to several factors, including the politicisation of the PCB and the treatment of coaches. However, the most detrimental cause, as Mohammad Yousuf pointed out, is the arrogance that crept into this unit after their win over India in Dubai in 2021. At the 2021 T20 World Cup league game, Pakistan smashed India by 10 wickets to register their first win over the Men in Blue in World Cups across formats, and that, Yusuf insists, is where the downfall began.

“Fortunately, or unfortunately, the match that we won by 10 wickets against India, we began to think there’s no one better than us. Everyone became disrespectful. When the head coach was speaking, someone would either look at their phone or stare elsewhere. It all began after that match. This is never a good thing for any player. You need to be grounded, which we saw with Inzamam bhai, Saeed bhai… they were big players. Still, they always listened to what the coaches had to say,” Yousuf, the Pakistan captain, said on the ‘How Does it Work’ podcast.

Yousuf hit the bullseye with his claim, as less than 24 hours ago, Shadab Khan made remarks that appeared to validate Yousuf’s sentiments. After several former Pakistan greats criticised the current team under Salman Agha, questioning their brand of cricket and their inability to beat India, Shadab responded with a statement that reflected the same traits Yousuf had accused the side of displaying.

“Our ex-cricketers have their own opinions. They have done well for Pakistan, and at the end of the day, they have also never defeated India in the World Cup. We were the ones who defeated India in the 2021 World Cup. In World Cups, we have beaten India only once. Yes, they are legends, but they have never done anything remarkable against India in the World Cup,” said Shadab.

“Babar Azam’s technique has deteriorated. No player can remain out of form for three years. I had been saying this for a long time, but people kept asking, ‘How can anyone drop Babar?’ So I felt it was better to resign. What has happened to him today is because of the same people who doubted me,” added the 51-year-old.

Click here to read article