Senseless coaching, questionable captaincy: Shoaib Akhtar blasts at Pakistan cricket team for Asia Cup embarrassment

Asia Cup 2025: Shoaib Akhtar slammed Coach Mike Hesson and team management for “Poor Coaching” (Photo- X)

Shoaib Akhtar criticised head coach Mike Hesson after Pakistan’s defeat against India in the Asia Cup 2025 final.

Pakistan got off to a flourish after being put to bat first but their innings soon dwindled after losing openers Sahibzada Farhan and Fakhar Zaman. Pakistan at one stage were at 113/1 but were soon all-out for 146 in 19.1 overs. India in response got off to a shaky start, and were reduced to 20/3 in four overs. Tilak Varma then combined with Sanju Samson to get the house back in order and then stitched another crucial stand with Shivam Dube to power India to a thrilling victory in Dubai.

After the match Akhtar criticised the Pakistan team management, particularly the coach for his tactics and not selecting Hasan Nawaz in the playing XI to boost the middle order.

"It is the fault of the management that is not thinking right. Talking about senseless coaching, I would probably say. I probably – I am going to, sorry to say these kinds of harsh words, but it's senseless coaching," Akhtar said on Tapmad.

He then shifted his focus towards Pakistan’s vulnerable batting and expressed Hasan Nawaz and Salman Mirza should have been part of the XI. "Again, the match-winner Hasan Nawaz, and then we have Salman Mirza not playing. Again, it became a little difficult. We are very disappointed, very hurt. It was a Super Sunday, and the whole nation was watching, but our middle order is already a problem. You know it, I know it, we all keep saying our top three batsmen in the middle are a problem. And obviously, if you are asking too much from Mohammad Nawaz, and again, when Shaheen Shah Afridi and Faheem Ashraf have to bat ahead, it's questionable. Again, you expect the lower order to add 50 more runs, so we reach 175 – there are too many errors. Too many mistakes," he said.

He also criticised Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha for his on-field decisions in choosing Rauf instead of the spinners, who were troubling the batters. "Captaincy is questionable. Bowling changes – when the batters are struggling facing spinners, there was no need to bring in Haris Rauf, he leaked 17 runs in an over which was not the need. There are many reasons we lost, but again, it’s okay. It’s fine," he said.