markandey katju
The final match in the recent Asia Cup cricket tournament played in Dubai on 28th September 2025, was one of the most thrilling many people would have ever seen. Neither side deserved to lose.
So I was very sad on seeing on the internet that the losing Pakistan cricket team players were treated very badly by their own countrymen, despite gallant performances by batsmen Sahibzada Farhan and Fakhar Zaman, and bowlers Faheem Ashraf and others.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yETV8XhG-tc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sz1Lzmcz9v0
They were viciously and maliciously criticised by former Pakistani cricketers, like Wasim Akram, Shaib Akhtar, Ramiz Raja, Shahid Afridi, Javed Miandad, etc
https://www.indiatoday.in/sports/cricket/story/champions-trophy-india-vs-pakistan-reaction-wasim-waqar-miandad-akhtar-2684868-2025-02-24
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/cricket/asia-cup/senseless-pakistan-shoaib-akhtars-emotional-outburst-after-asia-cup-final-defeat/articleshow/124205957.cms
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f0GrXX9ofys
On Pakistani streets frenzied people screamed, baying for their blood.
https://www.indiatoday.in/sports/cricket/story/india-pakistan-asia-cup-defeat-pak-fans-journalist-former-cricketers-blast-haris-rauf-salman-ali-agha-trophy-mohsin-naqvi-2795247-2025-09-29
Is this the way to treat players just because they lost ? Instead of consoling the players and applying balm, should salt have been poured on their wounds ?
No one could predict till the last over who would win, since India had to make 10 runs in 6 balls, not an easy task.
Some players in both teams played like lions ( though that cannot be said for all of them ).
The scorecard below tells it all
https://www.espncricinfo.com/series/men-s-t20-asia-cup-2025-1496919/india-vs-pakistan-final-1496938/full-scorecard
Batting first, Pakistan’s first wicket pair, Sahibzada Farhan ( who made 57 runs ) and Fakhar Zaman ( who made 46 ) played excellently, putting on 84 runs before the former was out, caught by Tilak Verma off the bowling of Varun, while attempting another big hit. The second Pakistani wicket fell when the score was 113. But then Pakistan lost 8 wickets for just 33 runs, mainly due to some splendid bowling by Kuldeep Yadav who took 4 wickets, while conceding just 30 runs, and bad batting by many Pakistani players.
Indian batting had a disastrous start. The first wicket fell at just 7 runs, the second at 10, and the third at 20. At that stage things seemed pretty grim for India. But then along came Tilak Verma who hit an unbeaten 69, ably partnered by Sanju Samson who scored 26 and Shivam Dube who scored 33.
https://www.indiatoday.in/sports/cricket/story/asia-cup-2025-final-india-vs-pakistan-tilak-varma-69-dubai-2794985-2025-09-29
The fourth wicket fell at 77, and the fifth at 137.
The last over was the most crucial one of the match, for till then no one could say with certainty who would win. India had to make 10 runs in that over, and everyone seeing the match held his/her breath. Which way would the balance tilt ?
The answer came in the very first ball, which Tilak Verma smashed for a six. Thereafter it was easy sailing for the Indians, who won by 5 wickets.
Everyone knows my own view, that India and Pakistan ( and Bangladesh ) are really one country, divided in 1947 by a British swindle on the basis of the bogus 2 nation theory, but are sure to reunite one day under a secular government.
https://thephilox.com/we-are-one-country-by-justice-katju/
https://indicanews.com/justice-markandey-katju-indian-reunification-is-an-idea-whose-time-has-come/
https://thephilox.com/why-we-must-undo-partition-by-justice-katju/
https://indicanews.com/justice-markandey-katju-the-misunderstanding-of-dr-ishtiaq-ahmed/
So to my mind there is no winner or loser in a India vs Pakistan match. Whichever team wins, is my team. There was no real winner or loser — unless one calls defeating oneself a victory, or getting defeated by oneself a loss.
But that having been said, should the Pakistani players have been so viciously, ferociously, spitefully, and venomously attacked by Pakistanis, including former well known Pakistani cricketers, just because they lost ?
Pakistan is having a bad spell in cricket in recent years. But all teams have bad spells. At one time, Pakistan had a great side which won the 1992 World Cup under Imran Khan’s captaincy. I am sure better days will come again for Pakistani cricket in the future.So Pakistanis should not feel disheartened or despondent
Many Pakistanis are cursing their players after yesterday’s defeat. But this is not proper. All players try to give their best. Yet despite this, sometimes they lose. Cricket has a significant element of luck in it.
At such times, instead of taunting the players, Pakistanis should console them, apply balm to their wounds, and encourage them to keep their spirits high, carefully study their mistakes, work hard to correct them, and remember : spring always comes after a cold winter.
This was not a defeat which will last forever — it was just one season in the cycle of the game.
