"Walkover de dena chahiye" - 2011 World Cup winner brutally trolls Pakistan ahead of IND vs PAK 2025 Champions Trophy match
India's 2011 World Cup winner Yusuf Pathan trolled Pakistan ahead of the Men in Green's 2025 Champions Trophy match against arch-rivals Team India. The ICC event is hosted by Pakistan but Rohit Sharma and company will be played in Dubai due to security reasons.
Yusuf joked that Pakistan should avoid traveling to Dubai for the encounter. He suggested that the Mohammad Rizwan-led side should consider giving India a walkover.
The 42-year-old made these comments in a video shared by his brother and former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan on Instagram. He remarked:
"Ek to itni dur unko jaana hi nahi chahiye. Walkover de dena chahiye. [They should not travel so far. They should give a walkover]"
Even Irfan was surprised by the brutal response from Yusuf and responded by saying:
"Aye tu to mere se bhi tight nikla. Aye baba, nahi nahi."
The much-awaited India-Pakistan match of the 2025 Champions Trophy will be played at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Sunday, February 23.
Both Asian teams have had a contrasting start to their respective campaign. Pakistan suffered a 60-run defeat to New Zealand in the inaugural match of the tournament. India, on the other hand, clinched a six-wicket victory over Bangladesh in their opening contest.
"They have plenty of issues in the team" - Irfan Pathan pinpoints Pakistan's weakness ahead of IND vs PAK 2025 Champions Trophy clash
Irfan Pathan recently pointed out that Pakistan have a lot of issues in their team, with their senior players' inability to play aggressive cricket being one. He opined that handling the pressure in the 2025 Champions Trophy fixture will be key for both sides and could be a deciding factor.
Emphasizing that India is far ahead of Pakistan in terms of talent, Pathan was quoted as saying by Geosuper.tv:
"When it comes to Pakistan, they have plenty of issues in the team. Some of the senior players don’t play the aggressive, modern-day brand of white-ball cricket. Can they change it? It’s very difficult."
"But more than strengths and weaknesses, it’s all about the India-Pakistan occasion. The team that handles the pressure better will emerge victorious. What we have seen in the recent past with the Indian team, we know how to handle a tough situation and the big occasion as well. As far as the talent is concerned, we are far ahead, especially in one-day cricket," he added.
The game against India will be a must-win one for Pakistan to stay in contention for a place in the 2025 Champions Trophy semifinals.