"I’ll guarantee you that" - Mohammad Asif says Pakistan will lose to USA at 2026 T20 World Cup
Former cricketer Mohammad Asif believes that with the current state of Pakistani cricket, it is likely that the Men in Green will lose against the United States of America (USA) in the 2026 T20 World Cup. Led by Babar Azam, Pakistan suffered a Super Over loss to the USA earlier this year at the 2024 T20 World Cup.
Speaking about the loss, Asif pointed out that the Men in Green were beaten by the USA, who were playing their maiden T20 World Cup. Guaranteeing that the result will be the same when the two teams square off in the next edition of the showpiece event, Mohammad Asif said on 'The Nakash Khan Show':
"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."
After being asked to bat first, Pakistan registered 159/7 after 20 overs. Shadab Khan was the top performer, playing a quickfire 40-run knock from 25 balls. Skipper Babar Azam scored 44 runs off 43 balls at an underwhelming strike rate of 102.33.
Haris Rauf failed to defend 15 runs in the final over, as the match went down to the Super Over. Bowling the crucial Super Over, left-arm pacer Mohammad Amir conceded 18 runs. Pakistan finished at 13/1, falling short of the total by five runs.
The embarrassing defeat haunted Pakistan later in the tournament, as they ultimately failed to qualify for the Super 8 stage. They finished their campaign with two wins and as many losses.
"We have to change the captain, coach and the players" - Mohammad Asif wants a major overhaul for Pakistan
In the aforementioned podcast, Mohammad Asif suggested that Pakistan will need to make major changes to their squad and coaching staff on the road to the 2026 T20 World Cup.
Highlighting that Pakistan haven't learnt from their past mistakes, Asif remarked:
"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."
Pakistan are currently competing with Bangladesh in a two-match home Test series. Bangladesh beat the hosts by 10 wickets in the series opener, clinching their maiden Test win over Pakitan. The second Test will be played at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium from Friday, August 30.