Mohammad Asif shockingly admits to USA beating Pakistan once again; match-fixed again?
Published - 28 Aug 2024, 02:02 PM | Updated - 29 Aug 2024, 11:09 AM
Former Pakistan cricketer Mohammad Asif has made shocking comments about the national cricket team following their loss to Bangladesh in the first Test of the two-match series.
Mohammad Asif said that the United States of America (USA) will upset Pakistan again in the next T20 World Cup in 2026.
Pakistan cricket has been facing numerous issues in recent times, including frequent changes in the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and internal conflicts among players.
The Men in Green have struggled to deliver impressive performances in the current calendar year across formats in international cricket.
The USA Will Beat Pakistan In The Next World Cup - Mohammad Asif
Speaking on ‘The Nakash Khan Show’ podcast, Mohammad Asif pointed out that the USA cricket team upset Pakistan in the 2024 World Cup.
Asif confidently stated that the USA could do the same again in the 2026 T20 World Cup, citing their current performance.
“We lost to the USA, who are playing in the T20 World Cup for the first time. They didn’t even qualify, they played because they were the hosts. The way the situation is going at this moment, the USA will beat Pakistan in the next World Cup, in 2026. I’ll guarantee you that,” Asif predicted.
The USA made their debut in the 2024 T20 World Cup as co-hosts with the West Indies.
The American team advanced to the Super 8 stages of the marquee tournament. In their second match of the tournament, the USA defeated Pakistan by 5 runs in a Super Over at Grand Prairie Stadium in Texas.
Pakistan lost to arch-rivals in their next match of the recent World Cup. The back-to-back losses dented Pakistan's chances of reaching the next stage in the T20 tournament.
However, the Babar Azam-led team ended the tournament with victories over Canada and Ireland in the group stage.
We Are Repeating The Same Things - Mohammad Asif
Mohammad Asif believes that changes are needed at the top level of Pakistan cricket to improve the team’s performance.
Asif said that Pakistan should overhaul the captain, coach, and players before the 2026 World Cup. He criticized the team for repeating past mistakes.
“Before the 2026 World Cup, we have to change the captain, coach, and the players. There needs to be planning for the two years that this is the team, this is the 20 players we want to work with. But we are repeating the same things, which is why I am telling you this."
“When the likes of India, and South Africa are moving forward in the next two years, we are still in the same spot,” Asif added.
The Shan Masood-led team suffered a humiliating 10-wicket loss to Bangladesh in the first Test match in Rawalpindi.
The home team bowlers failed to make an impact with the ball during the match. The second and final Test match will be played at the same venue, starting on Friday, August 30.
