The Asia Cup Group A match between India and Pakistan took place on Sunday at the Dubai International Stadium, where Rohit Sharma and company emerged victorious, defeating their longtime opponents by five wickets. The star of the show was Hardik Pandya, who put on an all-around performance to lead India to victory. After taking three wickets, Hardik played a match-winning innings of 33 runs in just 17 balls to help India cross the finish line with two balls remaining.

However, Shoaib Akhtar, a former Pakistani bowler, was dissatisfied with the cricket on show, adding that both teams actively sought to lose the match and that it was a “poor day of cricket.”

“I want to congratulate both India and Pakistan. Both teams tried to lose the game, India was almost successful in that. India were trying their best to lose the game but Hardik Pandya took them over the line. You only tell me, if Rizwan will score 45 of 45 balls, what to say? There were 19 dot balls in the first six overs when Pakistan were batting. If you play so many dot balls, you will be in trouble,”

Akhtar said on his YouTube channel

“There was bad selection, both captains Babar Azam and Rohit Sharma made bad selection calls. India dropped Rishabh Pant and Pakistan played Iftikhar Ahmed at No.4. No disrespect to him. I have said so many times that Babar should not open, he should come one down and he anchors the innings. Fakhar and Rizwan should open,”

he stated further

Further criticising the selection calls made by both teams,

“Both teams played bad cricket, Pakistan messed up their batting order. Even India sent Ravindra Jadeja at No.4, so you just think how bad the calls were from both sides.”

Akhtar said

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“Pakistan then sent Shadab Khan ahead of Asif Ali, so I was not able to understand the thinking of Babar Azam. It is really really bad cricket. Pakistan did not do the calculation for the last over. It was a bad day of cricket. Both teams played poorly. I did not like it one bit, I don’t care what others have to say,”

he added