The Asia Cup 2025 Super Four match between India and Pakistan in Dubai on September 21, 2025, has sparked controversy, with former Pakistan fast bowler Wasim Akram expressing strong criticism of Mohammad Nawaz's "brainfade" moment. The incident occurred during Pakistan's innings, leading to a run-out that Akram described as baffling, questioning Nawaz's presence of mind.
During the 19th over, Salman Ali Agha hit the ball straight to Varun Chakaravarthy at square leg. Despite Jasprit Bumrah signaling to the fielder not to throw the ball, Chakaravarthy went for a direct hit and missed at the non-striker's end. Suryakumar Yadav then seized the opportunity, noticing Nawaz "going walkabouts" and throwing the ball to dislodge the bails, resulting in Nawaz being run out. Akram, commentating at the time, said he was "speechless" at Nawaz's lack of awareness.
Akram has been a vocal critic of Pakistan's batting performance throughout the Asia Cup 2025. Following Pakistan's loss to India on September 14, where they were bundled out for 127, Akram slammed the Pakistani batters for their poor performance against India's spinners, particularly Kuldeep Yadav. He highlighted their inability to read Kuldeep's variations and their over-reliance on sweep shots, indicating a lack of understanding of the bowler. Akram also expressed disappointment with experienced players like Hasan Nawaz, Mohammad Haris, and captain Salman Ali Agha for failing to rotate the strike and playing rashly. He noted that Pakistan played 63 dot balls in their innings, which equated to over 10 overs without scoring.
In addition to criticizing Nawaz's "brainfade", Akram has also expressed concerns about Pakistan's overall approach. He has urged Shaheen Shah Afridi to diversify his bowling strategy and not solely rely on yorkers. Akram has also questioned the game awareness of experienced batters like Mohammad Rizwan, Iftikhar Ahmed, and Fakhar Zaman, emphasizing the need for them to adapt to different situations.
The India-Pakistan match was also marked by controversy off the field. Following India's seven-wicket win in their Group A match on September 14, the Indian team chose not to shake hands with the Pakistani players, leading to protests from the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB). The PCB lodged a formal complaint with the ICC, accusing match referee Andy Pycroft of breaching the "spirit of cricket" by instructing the captains to skip the customary handshake at the toss. They even threatened to pull out of the Asia Cup if their demands were not met.
Despite the controversies, the on-field action continued with anotherSuper Four clash on September 21, 2025. Pakistan, after being sent into bat, managed to score 171/5 in their 20 overs, with Sahibzada Farhan scoring a half-century. However, India started strong, reaching 43/0 in the first four overs, setting the stage for another intense encounter between the two rivals.
