‘Wish we had 2–3 players like him in Pakistan’: Ex-cricketer’s blunt take on this Indian cricketer

NEW DELHI: Former Pakistan cricketer Basit Ali has criticised ex-Pakistan pacer Mohammad Amir for his remarks about India’s young opener Abhishek Sharma following the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026.Abhishek, who had been under heavy criticism for his poor form earlier in the tournament, bounced back in style in the final against New Zealand national cricket team. The youngster smashed a crucial half-century, giving India national cricket team a blazing start and laying the foundation for victory.

India went on to defeat New Zealand by 96 runs at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, clinching their third ICC Men’s T20 World Cup title after earlier triumphs in 2007 and 2024.

The road to the final, however, was far from smooth for Abhishek. The left-handed opener endured a difficult start to the tournament, registering three consecutive ducks at the beginning of the campaign.During that lean phase, Amir criticised the youngster and labelled him a “slogger”. However, the criticism proved premature as India went on to lose just one match in the tournament, with Abhishek playing a key role in the final.Basit Ali expressed disappointment over the harsh criticism directed at the young batter and said he would welcome players of Abhishek’s calibre in Pakistan’s team.“Even if he has scored three ducks, form is temporary, but class is permanent. When people start giving such a classy player names, it honestly feels disappointing to me. The kind of names being thrown around… I just wish we had two or three players like him in our country as well,” Ali said at TV show on ARY News.After India’s title-winning victory over New Zealand in Ahmedabad, Abhishek spoke about the difficult phase he experienced during the tournament and the support he received from the team management.“I mean, of course, but the one thing was very clear… the coach and the captain, they had the faith in me. And even I was doubting myself because it was not an easy tournament for me. I’ve never experienced this before, but still playing the first World Cup,” he said while speaking to the broadcasters after the final.The young opener added that the confidence shown by captain Suryakumar Yadav and head coach Gautam Gambhir played a big role in helping him stay focused despite his struggles.“Everyone was so, so much into me that you’re going to win one game, one big game, one big game. So I was just doing my process, but it wasn’t that easy as a young player… going through this phase.”Abhishek also spoke emotionally about the support he received from his teammates throughout the competition.“I think I just love this team, the way they treated me in those days. It was… I’ve never felt it before.”