Former India opener and 1983 World Cup champion Kris Srikkanth has come down heavily on the current Pakistan team, led by Salman Agha, ahead of their Asia Cup 2025 Super 4 clash against India. Expressing strong criticism, he claimed that the Pakistan side does not deserve a place among the top international teams and went as far as calling them a “seventh division” outfit, comparing them to a lower-tier team from a Chennai league.
“Going forward, Pakistan shouldn’t be playing with the main teams. Have them among the Associate nations and bring a few of the others there here. It’s a big thing for Pakistan that they are even allowed to play in such a prestigious tournament,” Srikkanth said on his YouTube channel.
“Pakistan should be removed from the top seven. From hereon, India-Pakistan matches won’t attract crowds. India-Pakistan rivalry has become history. This Pakistan team will give us no scare. This is a seventh division team in a Chennai league,” he added.
Srikkanth Targets Mike Hesson
The former India opening batter also took aim at Pakistan’s head coach, Mike Hesson. He believes the New Zealander’s strategies have not improved the side and that Pakistan will not progress under his leadership.
“Mike Hesson will be back with his statements on how they are a very good team and they were unlucky in the last match against India. You’ll go nowhere with Mike Hesson as your coach,” said Srikkanth, who has also served as India’s chief selector.
Pakistan’s Struggles and Controversies
Pakistan’s campaign in the Asia Cup 2025 has been turbulent both on and off the field. Their batting form has been repeatedly questioned, with the side struggling to put up fighting totals. Shaheen Afridi’s late cameo against UAE helped them avoid complete embarrassment, but otherwise the batting has continued to falter.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has also been surrounded by controversy over its repeated complaints. After India refused the post-match handshake in a group game, PCB demanded that match referee Andy Pycroft be removed. They later claimed Pycroft had apologised to the captain and even released a video of him speaking before the match against UAE, though the clip was posted without original audio. That game itself was delayed by an hour due to the drama caused.
IND vs PAK Super 4 Clash
Despite Pakistan’s struggles, they will face India again in the Asia Cup Super 4 stage on September 21 at the Dubai Cricket Stadium. Salman Agha’s team come into the game with inconsistent performances, while Suryakumar Yadav-led India remain unbeaten in the tournament so far, comfortably advancing to the next round. Afghanistan’s early exit from the tournament has already made headlines, with their board making three changes to the squad for the upcoming white-ball series against Bangladesh. Meanwhile, Pakistan’s form and controversies continue to dominate discussions ahead of the highly anticipated clash
