 "Pakistan's former PM Imran Khan has slammed PCB after defeat to India. Image: Reuters")
Former Pakistan cricket captain and ex-prime minister Imran Khan, who is currently in jail, has taken a sarcastic dig at Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Mohsin Naqvi and the country’s Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir after their recent defeats to India in the Asia Cup 2025.
India defeated Pakistan by six wickets in the Super 4 stage of the Asia Cup on Sunday, September 21. Pakistan had endured a similar defeat to their arch-rivals exactly a week earlier in the group stage of the same tournament. This has triggered a barrage of reactions, including one from Imran Khan.
What did Imran Khan say?
Speaking through his sister Aleema Khan, Imran Khan joked that if Pakistan wanted to win against India, then PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi and Pakistan Army Chief Asim Munir should come out as openers in the batting lineup.
Aleema Khan further added that her brother suggested the umpires should be former Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa and Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja, while the third umpire should be Islamabad High Court Chief Justice Sarfaraz Dogar.
The remarks are being seen as a dig at both the cricket administrators and political figures in Pakistan. Imran Khan has been in jail since 2023 over alleged crimes committed during his tenure as the Prime Minister. He has repeatedly blamed the country’s army, government and the judiciary of consipiring against him.
Aleema Khan said she had informed her brother about Pakistan’s back-to-back defeats to India in the ongoing Asia Cup in Dubai. Imran blamed Mohsin Naqvi for the poor state of Pakistan cricket, accusing him of “incompetence” and “nepotism.”
Impact Shorts
More ShortsImran Khan, as captain of the cricket team, led Pakistan to their only ODI World Cup title in 1992. He became Pakistan’s Prime Minister in 2018, reportedly with the backing of the country’s military establishment. However, differences later grew between Khan’s government and the army, and in 2022, a no-confidence motion brought by opposition parties led to his removal from office.