‘Pakistan can beat India if PCB chairman, army chief open’:Former PAK all-rounder Imran Khan takes sarcastic dig at team’s struggles; Men in Green last beat IND in 2022

Former Pakistan captain and ex-prime minister Imran Khan has mocked his country’s cricket board and establishment after yet another defeat to India, quipping that the only way Pakistan can beat their arch-rivals is if PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi and Army Chief Gen Asim Munir walk out as openers. Once hailed as a cricketing powerhouse, Pakistan have struggled badly in recent years. They failed to qualify for the semi-finals of both the 2023 ODI World Cup and the 2024 T20 World Cup, and their inconsistency has now extended into the Asia Cup 2025 where The Men in Blue have beaten their South Asian rivals twice in two weeks. ‘Islamabad High Court Chief should be 3rd Umpire’ Speaking to reporters on Monday, Khan’s sister Aleema said the former prime minister joked that Pakistan could only beat India if Army Chief Gen Asim Munir and PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi walked in as openers, with former chief justice Qazi Faez Isa and Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja officiating as umpires. He even quipped that Islamabad High Court Chief Justice Sarfaraz Dogar should serve as the third umpire. Aleema said she had informed her brother about the two successive losses to India. The 72-year-old, who captained Pakistan to their lone ODI World Cup win in 1992, has accused Naqvi of ruining Pakistan cricket through nepotism and poor management. Khan has also repeatedly alleged that Gen Munir, aided by Isa and Raja, rigged the February 2024 general elections to deny his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party victory. The PTI founder has been imprisoned since August 2023 in several cases.