Misbah-ul-Haq Questions Pakistan Team’s Progress Ahead of Asia Cup Match

KARACHI, Pakistan — Former Pakistan captain Misbah-ul-Haq expressed concern on Wednesday about the national men’s cricket team’s ability to improve without facing stronger opponents like Australia and England.

The Green Shirts, crowned T20 champions in 2009, faced a disappointing group-stage exit from the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024, co-hosted by West Indies and the United States. After that setback, Pakistan played only three bilateral series against higher-ranked teams: Australia, South Africa, and New Zealand, losing all the major assignments.

Last year, they competed in three matches against Australia and South Africa, and earlier this year, toured New Zealand for a five-match series, suffering defeats in each. Subsequently, the team played two home-and-away series against Bangladesh, one against West Indies, and a tri-series against Afghanistan and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), including a loss against Bangladesh.

Despite holding a record of three defeats in their last 14 T20 internationals, Misbah criticized the lack of competition against stronger teams, saying, ‘Pakistan doesn’t play against India and faces big teams like England and Australia once every two years while continuously playing against smaller teams. How will the Pakistan cricket team improve?’ He made these remarks on a local sports program.

As Misbah’s comments emerged, Pakistan prepared to compete in the ongoing ACC Men’s T20 Asia Cup 2025, starting their campaign against Oman on Friday.

DUBAI, UAE — In an update, Pakistan won the toss and opted to bat first against Oman in the fourth match of the Asia Cup 2025 at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Friday.

This match marks the first-ever encounter between the two teams in international cricket, with the playing XIs featuring notable players like Salman Ali Agha for Pakistan and Jatinder Singh for Oman.

Pakistan enters the tournament with one defeat in their last five completed T20 internationals, whereas Oman is struggling with a five-match losing streak. Following successful performances against Afghanistan and UAE leading up to the Asia Cup, the Green Shirts aim to continue their strong momentum.