 "Pakistan's Mohammad Hafeez, second left celebrates after taking a catch to dismiss Australia's captain Aaron Finch off the bowling of Pakistan's Mohammad Amir, second right, during the Cricket World Cup match between Australia and Pakistan at the Cou")
An awkward moment unfolded on live television during a discussion on PTV Sports between former Pakistan captain Mohammad Hafeez and pace legend Shoaib Akhtar. Hafeez took aim at the legacy of Pakistan’s cricketers from the 1990s and early 2000s, criticizing them for failing to inspire future generations by not securing any major ICC titles. Akhtar, who played alongside these legends, seemed uncomfortable as Hafeez continued his critique. Hafeez's attack on Pakistan's 90's stars
"I respect those who played in the 1990s, but in terms of legacy, they didn't leave much for Pakistan. They never won an ICC event — they lost the 1996, 1999, and 2003 World Cups. We only reached one final in 1999, and we lost that badly. Despite being megastars, they couldn't inspire us with victories in ICC events," Hafeez remarked during the discussion.
In contrast, Hafeez praised Pakistan’s more recent successes, specifically the 2009 T20 World Cup and the 2017 Champions Trophy victories. He pointed out that players like Babar Azam are idolized because they are part of teams that have succeeded on the global stage, even if they didn’t play a central role in the victories.
"Winning in 2009 under Younis Khan’s leadership was inspiring for the next generation. Then, after a tough period, we triumphed in the 2017 Champions Trophy, which was huge. Babar Azam is admired today because, even though he didn’t play a key role in that tournament, he was there. This is the kind of inspiration the stars from the 90s failed to provide," Hafeez explained.
As the conversation continued, Shoaib Malik and former women’s team captain Sana Mir attempted to lighten the mood, leading to some laughter in the studio. Akhtar, however, couldn’t resist interjecting, asking Hafeez: "These 73 one-day wins against India, it was us who won them."
Hafeez responded, acknowledging the great cricket played during the earlier era, but Akhtar quickly retorted, "No, you can't backtrack now. This video is already out there. You’ve spoken about all the big players."
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