Former India cricketer Dinesh Karthik has hit back at former England captains Michael Atherton and Nasser Hussain for undermining India’s Champions Trophy 2025 triumph in Dubai. Hussain and Atherton had claimed that India enjoyed an unfair advantage during their victorious run, having played all their matches at a single venue after the Indian government did not permit the BCCI (Board of Control for Cricket in India) to send the team to Pakistan for the ICC tournament.
Recently, Karthik reminded the duo of their remarks, pointing out that Pakistan had a similar advantage but failed to capitalise on it at the T20 World Cup 2026, where they were eliminated at the Super 8 stage. Pakistan played all of their matches in Sri Lanka but endured a torrid campaign and were knocked out after their final Super 8 fixture against Sri Lanka.
“I expected Sri Lanka and Pakistan to do well. Sri Lanka, because of the home conditions and because they are a side that thrives on a bigger occasion. But that didn’t work out. Then I thought of Pakistan, purely because they consistently played in Colombo, stayed in one hotel and knew the same pitches — and both you ‘Fossils’ felt that was the main reason why India won the Champions Trophy,” Karthik said on the Sky Sports Cricket Podcast.
Karthik highlighted what he felt was a clear difference in skill levels between Pakistan and India, suggesting that Pakistan were unable to make the most of favourable conditions.
“By that same logic, Pakistan should have achieved something in this World Cup. Clearly, it works for one team but not for another, so there is a genuine lack of skill there. I’ll back Pakistan to say they will fight much harder, but almost losing to Sri Lanka was extraordinary, and then you hear about that,” he added.
PCB impose hefty fines on players
Pakistan needed to restrict Sri Lanka to 147 in their final Super 8 fixture to qualify for the semi-finals. However, they failed to do so and registered a narrow five-run win over Sri Lanka to end their campaign with a win.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has decided to impose a massive financial penalty on the team following their disappointing exit from the 2026 T20 World Cup. According to a report, each member of the squad is set to be fined PKR 5 million (Rs 16 lakh) for failing to meet performance expectations.
