Former Pakistan cricketer Basit Ali has made a bold statement ahead of the Asia Cup, suggesting that he hopes India refuses to face Pakistan in the tournament—similar to their decision in the recent World Championship of Legends. According to Basit, if the arch-rivals meet in their current form, Pakistan could face a humiliation even worse than the one they endured against the West Indies on Tuesday.

Pakistan’s batting collapse against the Windies was brutal. The top order was dismantled within the first three overs, with Saim Ayub, Abdullah Shafique, and skipper Mohammad Rizwan all dismissed for ducks. Chasing 295, Pakistan never recovered, folding inside 30 overs for just 92 runs. West Indies pacer Jayden Seales was the chief destroyer, delivering a devastating spell of 6/18 in under eight overs.

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“I pray India refuse to play against Pakistan in the Asia Cup. If they do, the beating will be so bad you can’t even imagine,” Basit Ali said on The Game Plan YouTube channel. The host even joked that, in their current state, Pakistan might not be able to beat Afghanistan.

Basit added, “If we lose to Afghanistan, it’s not a big deal for people here. But if you lose to India, the whole country goes mad.”

While Pakistan’s ODI defeat was crushing, the Asia Cup will be played in the T20 format, where the team has shown more promise. Led by Salman Agha, Pakistan recently beat the West Indies 2-1 in the T20I series.

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Still, the humiliation in Trinidad remains fresh. Seales’ fiery spell ripped through the Pakistani batting, sealing a 202-run victory for the hosts and leaving Pakistan with serious concerns ahead of their next big clash.