Kamal Ghorui
After Pakistan were knocked out in the Super 8 stage of the T20 World Cup 2026, veteran Indian cricketer Dinesh Karthik took a sharp dig at former England captains Michael Atherton and Nasser Hussain.Last year, Atherton and Hussain had suggested that India had an unfair edge when they won the Champions Trophy in Dubai.
Since India played all their matches at the same venue, after the Indian government did not allow the team to travel to Pakistan, they didn’t have to deal with travel or changing conditions. According to the English duo, getting used to one ground and staying in one place helped India plan better and eventually win the title.Fast forward to this T20 World Cup, and Karthik used that 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 semifinals. He pointed out that Pakistan had similar comforts this time, playing consistently in Colombo, staying in one hotel, and getting familiar with the same pitches.That’s when he delivered the punch. Referring to Atherton and Hussain, Karthik said: “I expected Sri Lanka and Pakistan. Sri Lanka, because of the home conditions and because they are a side that needs a bigger cause. But that didn’t work out. And then I thought of Pakistan, purely because they consistently played in Colombo, stayed in one hotel, knew the same pitches — and both you ‘Fossils’ felt that was the main reason why India won the Champions Trophy. “By that same logic, Pakistan should have done 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 a lot more, but then almost losing to Sri Lanka was mad, and on top of that, you hear about that.”
