'Pakistan need players like Hardik Pandya and Shivam Dube' - Tanvir Ahmed rues lack of allrounders in PAK's Asia Cup 2025 team

Mayank Bande

•

'Pakistan need players like Hardik Pandya and Shivam Dube' - Tanvir Ahmed rues lack of allrounders in PAK's Asia Cup 2025 team image

Pakistan confirmed their place in the Super Four round of the Asia Cup 2025 with a 41-run victory over hosts UAE on Wednesday after a long night where they almost pulled out of the match.

Earlier in the tournament, they had also defeated Oman by 93 runs, dismantling them for just 67 in their opener.

However, they stumbled with yet another failure against India, who dominated them throughout the match and chased down the target of 127 in just 15.5 overs.

Add The Sporting News as a preferred news source

Addressing the concern, a former Pakistan player has pointed out what they are missing in the XI and compared themselves to the strong talent pool in India.

Tanvir Ahmed points to the need for all-rounders in Pakistan XI

During his analysis with PTV Sports, Ahmed explained how Pakistan struggles to field the third pace-bowling option who can bat lower down the order, like Hardik Pandya or Shivam Dube.

While Saim Ayub has given decent returns with the ball in the Asia Cup with 6 wickets, his concerning form with the bat had Tanvir fuming, as he asks for better performances from the 23-year-old.

"The problem is that we do not have a strong all-rounder. We play two pacers, but if we need the third one, he needs to be an all-rounder," said Tanvir.

"Look at the other teams, if India needs a pacer, Hardik Pandya plays as an all-rounder who bats. If they need a spinner, they play Axar Patel who bats as well. They had Jadeja in the past, now they have Washington Sundar and Shivam Dube too. We don't have such options because we are busy in politics and selfishness," he concluded.

A domestic legend with 516 wickets in 136 matches to go with his 81 List A and 27 T20 wickets, Ahmed represented Pakistan in 5 Tests, 2 ODIs and 1 T20I, accumulating 20 international wickets.

His best figures of 6/120 came against South Africa in Abu Dhabi when AB de Villiers famously scored a 278*(418). At 46, the former continues his association with the sport with coaching and punditry.

RELATED LINKS:

Mayank Bande

Mayank Bande has been a content producer at The Sporting News since 2023 and has extensive experience in cricket writing. His work has previously appeared on platforms like OneCricket and Last Word on Sports. Beyond cricket, Mayank closely follows football as an FC Barcelona supporter, along with tennis and Olympic sports. Despite holding a degree in Business Administration, he chose to pursue a career in sports, bringing sharp analysis to his writing as someone who once played cricket.