Former Pakistani fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar has criticized the Indian media for putting too much pressure on their cricket team, especially before important matches against Pakistan. He mentioned an incident from the Asia Cup 2022 where he believed media hype affected the Indian team negatively.
Akhtar thinks India has a talented team but sometimes loses due to the immense pressure created by their media. He’s asking the Indian media to be more respectful and not burden the national team with excessive expectations.
He shared his own experience when he was in Dubai and saw the Indian media building up immense pressure around their team. He said this can have a negative impact. Akhtar also mentioned that when Pakistan is seen as the underdog, it actually reduces the pressure on them, allowing them to play more freely and confidently.
It’s worth noting that Pakistan won against India in the Asia Cup 2022, and in the current Asia Cup, Pakistan had a strong start by beating Nepal by 238 runs in their first match.
