Veteran Indian pacer Ishant Sharma expressed sympathy for the Pakistan cricket team, lamenting their decline in the face of India's overwhelming superiority across formats. In a candid interview on podcaster Raj Shamani's show, Ishant highlighted the immense pressure Pakistani players endure, not just from Indian opponents but from their own passionate fans.
"Pakistan already have so much pressure on them, how will they handle more from us? If you look at the matches, their fans in the crowd are always shouting behind them from the stands. Actually, sometimes I feel bad for them," he said. Ishant's remarks come as India has crushed Pakistan twice in the ongoing Asia Cup 2025—once in the group stage and again in the Super Fours—solidifying their status as the subcontinent's undisputed powerhouse.
The disparity between the two sides has widened dramatically over recent years, with India assembling world-class lineups for Tests, ODIs, and T20Is, while Pakistan grapples to field a competitive XI. Ishant, who retired from international cricket in 2023 after a storied career spanning 105 Tests and 80 ODIs, pointed to Pakistan's historical greats like Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis, Shoaib Akhtar, Saqlain Mushtaq, and Shahid Afridi as eras when rivalries were fiercer.
"The pressure will be high (during an India vs Pakistan match), but that was more during the time when they had great players... The kind of talent, exposure, and infrastructure we have, they are not even close," he added. Under Suryakumar Yadav's captaincy, India boasts a balanced squad blending youth and experience, contrasting Pakistan's inconsistencies under Salman Agha, marred by frequent leadership changes and selection controversies.
A potential third clash in the Asia Cup final looms, but Ishant foresees no shift in dynamics. Post the recent Super Fours win, Yadav himself downplayed Pakistan as "rivals," citing lopsided head-to-head stats: India leads 8-1 in T20 World Cups, 7-1 in Asia Cups since 2016, and dominates bilaterals.
Pakistan's woes trace to internal turmoil, including the 2023 PCB overhaul and a 2024 coaching carousel that saw foreign legends like Mickey Arthur depart. Meanwhile, India's BCCI-backed ecosystem—featuring elite academies and IPL exposure—has produced stars like Yashasvi Jaiswal and Arshdeep Singh, widening the talent chasm.
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Ishant's empathy underscores a poignant shift in the storied rivalry, once defined by nail-biters like the 2007 T20 World Cup final. As Pakistan rebuilds, with emerging talents like Abrar Ahmed showing promise, the onus lies on stabilizing governance and nurturing depth. For now, India's supremacy serves as both a benchmark and a stark reminder of cricket's evolving hierarchies. Fans await the final, but as Ishant implies, the emotional toll on the losing side may overshadow the scoreboard.
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