Pakistan’s star pacers failed to make the impact needed on the big stage in the Asia Cup 2025 final.
After a shaky start with the bat, India capitalized on Pakistan’s inconsistent bowling to claim another win eventually.
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Former Pakistan cricketer Tanvir Ahmed did not hold back in his criticism of the Men in Green's frontline bowlers. He questioned whether Haris Rauf and Shaheen Afridi have ever delivered match-winning performances in crucial games.
Tanvir Ahmed criticizes Pakistan’s pacers after Asia Cup 2025 final defeat
Tanvir Ahmed made it clear that Pakistan’s senior bowlers failed to rise to the occasion. He pointed out that despite bowling economically and picking up one wicket, Afridi did not change the course of the match.
"Our bowlers have done a fantastic job, except for one senior bowler—Shaheen and Rauf. Don’t tell me Shaheen bowled well today. Did he win the match? Did he deliver some extraordinary bowling?" said Tanvir.
He remarked that true cricketing legends are those who step up in big games, take multiple wickets and help their team dominate opposition.
"All the big superstars in world cricket, the ones who carry their teams, make a mark with standout individual performances in big matches and that’s why they become legends," he added.
He stressed that a great bowler is someone who can take 3–4 wickets in a match and turn it in their team’s favor, something he felt Shaheen and Rauf did not do in this crucial final.
"Come on, take 3-4 wickets! Take 4 wickets in 4 overs and turn the game one-sided. What makes a great bowler? Someone who steps up against top teams and wins the match for you," he concluded.
Could Shaheen Afridi and Haris Rauf have changed the game for Pakistan in the Final?
Afridi bowled economically, giving away just 20 runs in four overs and dismissing Suryakumar Yadav. Yet Ahmed pointed out that one wicket was not enough.
If the left-arm pacer had taken a few more key wickets and made an impact, Pakistan might have been in control of the game. But since those breakthroughs didn’t happen, India was able to recover from early setbacks and eventually reach the target.
Meanwhile, Rauf came on to bowl the 15th over when Pakistan needed to stop India from scoring quickly. But he gave away 17 runs in that over and then failed to defend 10 runs in the final over of the match as India went past the finish line with two balls to spare.
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