"This has been done to divert attention" - Basit Ali's take on Mohammad Hafeez's scathing remarks about 90s cricketers from Pakistan

Former Pakistan cricketer Basit Ali believes that Mohammad Hafeez's comments about the country's cricketers from the 1990s may have a hidden agenda. Hafeez recently stated that Pakistan's 1990s team couldn't inspire the next generation by winning ICC events.

Basit suggested that it was a deliberate attempt to stir controversy and divert the attention from the Men in Green's disastrous 2025 Champions Trophy campaign. Speaking on his YouTube channel 'Basit Ali', the cricketer-turned-expert said in his latest video (from 11:40):

"This topic has come up in our country in the last two days. This has been done to divert attention from the selection blunders that happened in the Champions Trophy squad."

Basit also claimed that Hafeez didn't make the remarks on his own and that the 'mastermind' of the controversy was someone else. He added (from 17:53):

"The mastermind is someone else behind Mohammad Hafeez's comments."

The hosts and defending champions Pakistan suffered back-to-back losses to New Zealand and India in the 2025 Champions Trophy. They suffered a group-stage exit and finished without a single win as their last group match against Bangladesh was washed out due to rain.

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"In terms of legacy, they didn't leave much for Pakistan" - Mohammad Hafeez's statement on Pakistan's 1990s team

Speaking on the show 'OutSide Edge Live', Mohammad Hafeez questioned the legacy of Pakistan's 1990s stars. He pointed out the side's underwhelming performances at ODI World Cups.

Hafeez said (via Times of India):

"I am a huge fan of those who played in the 1990s but when it comes to legacy, they left nothing for Pakistan. They didn't win an ICC event - they lost the (World Cups of) 1996, 1999 and 2003. We reached one final (in the 1999 World Cup) and lost that badly. As stars, as players, they were the mega superstars. But then they couldn't inspire us by winning an ICC event."

It is worth mentioning that speedster Shoaib Akhtar was also part of the panel. He responded to Hafeez's comments by highlighting Pakistan's ODI record against India. He reckoned that the players from the 1990s were responsible for Pakistan's superior head-to-head ODI record over their arch-rivals.