'Pak can win if army bats, judges umpire': Imran Khan mocks Asia Cup loss

Jailed former PM Imran Khan mocked Pakistan's cricket slump, saying only Army Chief Munir and PCB head Naqvi as openers, with judges as umpires, could secure a win against India

Pakistan’s cricketing troubles are far from over. The poor performances on the field and aggressive but pointless antics have now become a subject of satire in the country’s political circles. Jailed former cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan has reportedly said that Pakistan Cricket Board Chairman Mohsin Naqvi, along with Army Chief General Asim Munir, should open the batting for Pakistan against India, and that this is the only way Pakistan could hope to win.

 

Imran Khan’s sister, Aleema Khan, told reporters on Monday that her brother remarked Pakistan could only stand a chance against India if “Army Chief Gen Munir and Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Naqvi bat as openers while umpires should be former Chief Justice of Pakistan Qazi Faez Isa and Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja.”

 

This satirical comment came right after Pakistan lost to India for the second time in the ongoing Asia Cup tournament, being held in the UAE. In the first match, India dominated the Pakistan team for a comfortable win, while in the second encounter, Pakistan mounted a tame fight but were beaten again, within 10 days.

 

Aleema added that, according to Khan, “The third umpire should be Islamabad High Court Chief Justice Sarfaraz Dogar.” She said she had informed her brother about the team’s back-to-back defeats against India.

 

The former prime minister, who famously led Pakistan to its only ODI World Cup title in 1992, blamed Naqvi for ruining Pakistan cricket through “incompetence” and “nepotism.” Khan has also repeatedly accused Gen Munir of stealing his party’s mandate in the February 2024 elections with the support of then-CJP Isa and election commissioner Raja. Behind bars since August 2023, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder is currently facing multiple legal cases.

 

‘Not a rivalry anymore,’ says Indian captain

 

Earlier on Monday, India captain Suryakumar Yadav told reporters that India–Pakistan matches can no longer be called a “rivalry” given India’s repeated victories.

 

“You guys should stop asking questions about the rivalry between India and Pakistan. According to me, if two teams play 15–20 matches, and if it is even, then it is a rivalry. 10–0, 10–1, I don’t know what the stat is, but this is not a rivalry anymore,” he said. “I think we played better cricket than them (Pakistan), and also from a bowling point of view,” he added.

 

India’s dominant head-to-head record in T20Is now stands at 12–3.

 

(With PTI inputs)