Former India pacer Atul Wassan has expressed his hope that Pakistan will triumph in the upcoming Champions Trophy clash against India, scheduled for Sunday in Dubai. Wassan, who enjoyed a brief international career for India, believes such a result would elevate the excitement of the tournament, making it more competitive and unpredictable. In a recent interview, the 56-year-old explained that a win for Pakistan would add much-needed thrill to the ongoing competition.
“I want Pakistan to win because it will make the tournament more interesting. If you don’t let Pakistan win, what’s the point? If they play well and win, it becomes a real contest,” he said. Atul Wassan drew an analogy to a famous Bollywood figure, likening the scenario to watching Amitabh Bachchan effortlessly defeat his enemies in movies. “It’s like Amitabh Bachchan in movies—if he keeps defeating his enemies effortlessly, there’s no thrill in watching,” he remarked. “I hope Pakistan makes a comeback; it will be good for the tournament.”
Wassan, who earned four Test caps and played nine ODIs for India during his short international career, also spoke about how the India-Pakistan rivalry has become somewhat one-sided in recent years.
“Until Pakistan improves its cricket, there’s no excitement in watching India vs Pakistan games,” Wassan stated. “When I played in the ’90s, Pakistan had so many great players, like Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis, and Saeed Anwar.”
However, Atul Wassan believes Pakistan’s decline has stemmed from off-field issues, impacting their performance. “Whatever happened in Pakistan affected their cricket, and they suffered because of it. Meanwhile, India has only grown stronger. Since the 2000s, we have dominated them,” he added.
While Atul Wassan wants Pakistan to win to keep the Champions Trophy exciting, most of his countrymen do not share this sentiment.
The rivalry between India and Pakistan in the Champions Trophy is set to add another chapter tomorrow. With Pakistan holding a slight 3-2 edge in five meetings, Mohammad Rizwan’s men will be hoping for another win to keep their tournament alive.
