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Sourav Ganguly lands telling blow on Pakistan amid Asia Cup handshake fiasco: ‘I’d rather watch India vs Afghanistan'
Sourav Ganguly criticised Pakistan's cricketing decline, stating he now prefers watching India play Afghanistan over India-Pakistan matches.
Former India captain and ex-BCCI president Sourav Ganguly delivered a scathing assessment of Pakistan’s cricketing decline, bluntly stating that he would rather watch India play Afghanistan than what was once considered the most high-voltage clash in world cricket — India vs Pakistan.
“There is no competition between India and Pakistan anymore,” Ganguly said during a public interaction in Kolkata. “I always say, we think of Pakistan as Waqar Younises, Wasim Akrams, the Saeed Anwars and Javed Miandads. But that’s not the case with this modern-day Pakistan — it's now like chalk and cheese.”
Ganguly’s comments came in the wake of India’s seven-wicket win over Pakistan in their Asia Cup clash in Dubai, a match that drew criticism and controversy — not for what happened on the pitch, but what followed after, when Indian players refused to shake hands with their Pakistani counterparts in the aftermath of the Pahalgam terror attack.
Ganguly, never one to mince words, said he wasn’t surprised by the one-sided affair and questioned the quality of Pakistan’s current side.
“Pakistan are no match. I say that with respect, it's just because I've seen what their team was,” he said. “It’s the lack of quality in the side. This (Indian) team has played without (Virat) Kohli and Rohit (Sharma), who were the two stalwarts of Indian cricket for such a long period of time. India are just too far ahead in cricket for Pakistan and most of these Asia Cup teams.”
“There will be one or two days when they get beaten, but the majority of days they (India) would be the best team,” he added.
The former left-handed batter also admitted he switched off the India-Pakistan match early, anticipating no real contest.
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“I’m actually not surprised by what I saw. I stopped watching after the first 15 overs and started watching Manchester United and Man City instead,” he quipped.
India vs Afghanistan: The New Rivalry?
Highlighting how the traditional India-Pakistan rivalry has lost its edge, Ganguly remarked: “I would rather watch India play Australia, South Africa, New Zealand, England, Sri Lanka or even Afghanistan. I don’t think India and Pakistan are a contest anymore. We keep hyping it and for the last five years, every hype has been shattered. It’s been one-way traffic.”
Ganguly’s harsh but honest assessment reflects a growing sentiment among cricket fans and experts who believe the Pakistan team — once a powerhouse of raw talent and fierce pace — has seen a steep decline in performance, infrastructure, and consistency in recent years.
No Comment on Post-Match Handshake Row
On the controversy surrounding Indian players reportedly refusing to shake hands with the Pakistani team after the match, Ganguly steered clear of taking sides.
“You’ll have to ask Suryakumar Yadav, he has to answer. I’m too far, launching my ethnic brand. He’s also answered it... Everyone has their own side of the story, that’s what it is,” he said.
He did, however, make a broader appeal for global peace. “Terror must stop, that’s most important — all around the world, not just India and Pakistan,” he said.
