55 All-Out Against India, But Wahab Riaz Says Pakistan Are ‘Best Team’ - Internet Explodes

55 All Out Against India, But Wahab Riaz Says Pakistan Are ‘Best Team’ - Internet Explodes

Pakistan coach Wahab Riaz made a bizarre statement after his team suffered a crushing defeat to India in the Women's Asia Cup contest. Pakistan were bowled out for a mere 55 runs and lost the game by seven wickets as India continued its dominance over the arch-rivals. A defeat of such magnitude usually invites intense scrutiny and criticism, but the limelight was hogged by Wahab Riaz's statement that left many scratching their heads.

Soon after India crushed Pakistan, Wahab said that Pakistan is the best team in the Women Asia Cup. Pakistan haven't beaten India since 2022, and there's no guarantee they can beat Sri Lanka or even smaller nations like Hong Kong; thus, Wahab's statement invited a meme fest on social media.

“I still believe Pakistan is the best side in this Asia Cup to lift the trophy because the conditions really suit us,” Riaz told reporters.

Meanwhile, Pakistan had no answers to the Indian spin trio of Deepti Sharma, Shree Charani and Prema Rawat, who shared all 10 wickets to break the spine of Pakistan's batting. Reflecting on the performance, Riaz said that the team will try not to repeat the mistakes.

“We will go back and discuss what we did wrong against India. We will try not to commit the same mistakes,” Riaz said.

Riaz's statement wasn't the only incident that invited criticism for Pakistan. During India's innings, Fatima Sana's fiery send-off to Shafali Verma also created a controversy. India were chasing only 56, so the game was already done and dusted. Usually, after such an embarrassing display, the teams avoid getting into altercations with the opposition, reflecting on their own performance rather than trying to get into the skin of the better team, but Pakistan play cricket their own way. Nevertheless, the act didn't go well with fans, and Sana was brutally trolled online.

Meanwhile, the defeat to India has put Pakistan in a must-win situation against Hong Kong. An upset in the final game will see the Women in Green pack their bags and return home before the semifinal. It will also be a setback before the Asian Games.

Faham Uddin is a seasoned sports journalist currently working as a Special Correspondent on the sports desk. With over eight years of diverse experien...