NEW DELHI: Former Pakistan cricketer Basit Ali has slammed former Pakistan pacer Mohammad Amir for his remarks about India’s young opener Abhishek Sharma after the 2026 Men’s T20 World Cup.Abhishek, who was under heavy criticism at the start of the tournament for his poor form, bounced back in style against the New Zealand national cricket team in the final. The youngster smashed a crucial half-century, giving the Indian national cricket team a great start and laying the foundations for victory.
Suryakumar Yadav made a spectacular comeback after India’s victory in the T20 World Cup
India defeated New Zealand by 96 runs at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad to claim their third ICC Men’s T20 World Cup title after previous triumphs in 2007 and 2024.However, the road to the finals was far from smooth for Abhishek. The left-handed opener endured a tough start to the tournament, scoring three consecutive ducks at the start of the campaign.During this lean phase, Amir criticized the youngster, calling him a “beater”. However, the criticism proved premature as India lost just one match in the tournament, with Abhishek playing a key role in the final.Basit Ali expressed disappointment at the harsh criticism leveled at the young batsman and said he would welcome a player of Abhishek’s caliber in the Pakistan team.“Even though he scored three ducks, form is temporary but class is permanent. When people start giving names to such classy players, I am honestly disappointed. The types of names that are being thrown around… I just wish we had two or three players like him in our country too,” Ali said on a TV show on ARY News.After India’s win over New Zealand in Ahmedabad, Abhishek spoke about the tough phase he went through during the tournament and the support he received from the team management.“I mean, of course, but one thing was very clear… the coach and the captain believed in me. And even I doubted myself because it was not an easy tournament for me. I’ve never experienced it before, but I’m still playing in my first World Cup,” he said while talking to television stations after the final.The young opener added that the trust shown by captain Suryakumar Yadav and head coach Gautam Gambhir played a big role in helping him stay focused despite his struggles.“Everybody was so, so into me that you win one game, one big game, one big game. So I just went through my process, but it wasn’t that easy as a young player … to go through that phase.”Abhishek also spoke emotionally about the support he received from his teammates during the competition.“I think I just love this team, the way they treated me in those days. It was … I’ve never felt that before.”
