Ahmed Shehzad Tears Down Pakistan; Praises India After T20 World Cup Win

Ahmed Shehzad praised the strong system of India after their ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 triumph while criticising Pakistan’s flawed cricket structure.

Ahmed Shehzad Praises India national cricket team System After ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 Win, Criticises Pakistan Cricket Structure

Former Pakistan batter Ahmed Shehzad has lauded the cricketing structure of the India national cricket team following their commanding triumph in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, while also raising concerns about the shortcomings in Pakistan’s cricket system.

India sealed the title with a 96-run victory over the New Zealand national cricket team in the final, showcasing their depth in both batting and bowling. The Men in Blue’s dominant performance highlighted the strength of their bench and the aggressive style that has become a hallmark of their recent success.

Shehzad Highlights India’s Strong Cricketing System

Speaking on the show Haarna Mana Hai, Ahmed Shehzad explained that Pakistan’s struggles are not due to a lack of talent but rather issues within the system that fail to properly develop players.

“Pakistan doesn’t lack talent. The real problem is that our system is flawed,” Shehzad said. “In India, they have both talent and a strong system, and that system keeps producing players.”

He cited several Indian players as examples of how the team management backs individuals even during difficult phases before they eventually succeed at the highest level.

“Take Sanju Samson, for example – he wasn’t even getting chances, and when he finally did, he ended up becoming Man of the Series in the World Cup,” Shehzad said. “Then there’s Ishan Kishan, who wasn’t being played because of discipline issues and was sidelined for a while. He went back to domestic cricket, performed, returned to the side, and the impactful innings he’s playing now show he was always ready.”

Indian Players Thrive Under Pressure

Shehzad also highlighted how Indian cricketers are better prepared for major tournaments because they regularly face top-level opposition.

“Look at Abhishek Sharma – how much pressure was he under? Yet in the final he showed what he could do, scoring 50 off just 18 balls,” he said. “And they’re not doing this against B, C or D teams. They’re not beating Zimbabwe, Uganda or Kenya and then showing those stats to the public. Indian players perform against the big teams. They play big matches and big series, and they have such depth that there’s always another player waiting behind the current one.”

He further praised India’s ability to peak at crucial moments in tournaments.

“Performing like this in a final isn’t something new for India. Good teams peak at the right time,” he said. “People were saying they hadn’t scored 250 in the tournament, but we said they would. In the next two matches – the semi-final and the final – they did exactly that.”

Shehzad Questions Pakistan’s Conservative Approach

Shehzad suggested that Pakistan might not have adopted the same aggressive strategy that India showed in the final when they piled up 255/5 against New Zealand.

“If it were Pakistan in that situation, we probably would have made around 180 and then said, ‘Let the bowlers defend it,’” he said. “But when India sensed an opportunity, they pushed for 250.”

He also noted that even when India briefly lost momentum during their innings, they maintained their attacking approach.

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“There came a moment when the ball got old and the wicket slowed down,” he said. “Four wickets fell quickly, which allowed New Zealand to come back a bit. Otherwise, India might even have reached 275 or 280.”

Pakistan’s campaign in the tournament, meanwhile, ended in disappointment as they suffered defeats to India national cricket team and England cricket team before being eliminated in the Super 8 stage.

Shehzad also took a dig at Pakistan’s tendency to celebrate wins against lower-ranked teams.

“If you keep inviting Zimbabwe, Kenya and Uganda, beating them and then calling yourselves the number one team among them, what does that achieve?” he said.

“We should ask the ICC to remove the top five or six teams from the rankings. Then we can have separate rankings for Pakistan alongside Kenya, Uganda and Zimbabwe,” he added.