Indian cricket veteran after Pakistan were eliminated at Super 8 stage of 2026 T20 World Cup Dinesh Karthik A stinging dig at the former England captain Michael Atherton and Nasser Hussein.Last year, Atherton and Hussain had said that India had an unfair advantage when winning the Champions Trophy in Dubai.
Since the Indian team plays all its matches at the same venue, they won’t have to deal with travel or changing conditions after the Indian government did not allow the team to travel to Pakistan. The British pair said adapting to one venue and staying in one place helps India better plan and ultimately win the title.Fast forward to this T20 World Cup, Kartik is using the same logic to question Pakistan’s performance. Speaking on the Sky Cricket Podcast, he said he expected both Sri Lanka and Pakistan to reach the semi-finals. He pointed out that the Pakistan team had a similar comfort level this time, playing continuously in Colombo, staying in a hotel and familiarizing themselves with the same pitches.That’s when he punched. Talking about Atherton and Hussain, Karthik said: “I was looking forward to Sri Lanka and Pakistan. Sri Lanka, because of their home conditions, because they are a team that needs a bigger cause. But that didn’t work out. Then I thought of Pakistan, purely because they have been playing in Colombo, staying in a hotel, knowing the same pitches – you ‘fossils’ all think that was the main reason why India won the Champions Trophy. “By the same logic, Pakistan should do something in this World Cup. Obviously, it works for one team but not another, so there is a real lack of skill there. I would support Pakistan and say they will bat more, but then it’s crazy to almost lose to Sri Lanka, and on top of that, you hear that.”
