Team Pakistan and Dinesh Karthik Veteran Indian cricketer Dinesh Karthik took a sharp dig at former England captains Michael Atherton and Nasser Hussain after Pakistan were knocked out in the Super 8 stage of the 2026 FIFA World Cup T20.Last year, Atherton and Hussain suggested that India had an unfair advantage when they won the Champions Trophy in Dubai.Also See: SA vs NZ Live Score T20 World Cup Semi Final
India arrive for the final net session before the T20 World Cup semi-finals
Since India played all their matches at the same venue, they did not have to deal with travel or changing conditions after the Indian government did not allow the team to travel to Pakistan. Getting used to one ground and staying in one place, according to the English duo, helped India plan better and ultimately win the title.Fast forward to the T20 World Cup and Karthik used the same logic to question Pakistan’s performance. Speaking to the Sky Cricket Podcast, he said he expects both Sri Lanka and Pakistan to reach the semi-finals. He pointed out that Pakistan had similar comforts this time around, playing consistently in Colombo, staying in the same hotel and familiarizing themselves with the same pitches.That’s when he struck. Referring to Atherton and Hussain, Karthik said, “I expected Sri Lanka and Pakistan. Sri Lanka, because of the home conditions and because they are a side that needs a bigger thing. But that didn’t work out. And then I remembered Pakistan, purely because they played consistently in Colombo, stayed in the same hotel, knew the same pitches – and you both felt that the India Trophy was the main reason why they won the Champions. “By the same logic, Pakistan should have done something in this World Cup. It’s clear that it works for one team but not for another, so there’s a real lack of skill there. I’ll back Pakistan to say they’re going to fight a lot more, but the near loss to Sri Lanka was crazy and you’ve heard about it.”
