'They can't read him': Wasim Akram in awe of India spinner, laments Pakistan collapse in Asia Cup clash

NEW DELHI: Legendary Pakistan cricketer Wasim Akram shared his candid assessment of Pakistan’s batting collapse against India in Sunday’s Asia Cup 2025 Group A clash at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.

Pakistan, batting first, were restricted to 127/9 in 20 overs, struggling to counter India’s spin trio of Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel, and Varun Chakaravarthy. The visitors faced 63 dot balls in their innings, leaving Akram disappointed but appreciative of the Indian bowlers’ clinical performance.

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Kuldeep emerged as the standout bowler, claiming 3/18, while keeping the pressure on Pakistan’s batters with his deceptive wrist spin.

Speaking on Sony Sports, Akram dissected Pakistan’s inability to decode Kuldeep’s variations: “It’s just the way he bowls. They can’t read him. In the pre-show, I was talking to Sunny bhai, who was a great batter. He said, ‘unless and until you can read him from the hand, you won’t be able to understand that type of bowling.’ So that’s what happened. When they sweep against Kuldeep every second ball, it means you are not reading him.”

The legendary pacer expressed sadness at Pakistan’s failure to rise to the occasion, particularly singling out Hasan Nawaz, Mohammad Haris, and skipper Salman Ali Agha.

“Pakistan played 63 dot balls in their innings — that’s just over 10 overs of dots. Credit to the Indian bowlers. It’s sad to see players like Hasan Nawaz, Haris, and our captain; they are talented players. But you need to pick your bowlers, read the situation. They were all chasing a strike rate of 150,” Akram added.




India’s chase was anchored by Suryakumar Yadav, who remained unbeaten on 47, while opener Abhishek Sharma provided an aggressive 31 off 13 deliveries. Despite two early wickets, India cruised to victory with 25 balls to spare, leaving Pakistan’s batters exposed against spin.

Sunday’s match reaffirmed India’s spin dominance in the tournament and left Pakistan needing significant adjustments ahead of their next fixtures.

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