Former Pakistani wicketkeeper-batter Moin Khan has voiced concerns about Pakistani cricketers being overly friendly with Indian players during matches.
In a conversation on The Knock Knock Show hosted by actress Ushna Shah, Moin expressed disappointment with the current attitude of players on the field.
Ushna asked, “Why are Pakistani cricketers now seen taking pictures with players like Virat Kohli, unlike the past when things were more competitive across borders?”
Moin responded, “It hurts me to see our players laughing and joking with Indian cricketers. We always respected them, but we stayed professional on the field. There was a time when Pakistan’s team was stronger than India. Now they are ahead of us, and they continue to benefit from the work we did back then.”
He explained that even though good relations with Indian players existed in the past, players maintained a professional distance during matches. “Even if I liked an Indian player, I never acted casually on the field-like checking their bat or being overly friendly. These actions send the wrong message.”
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Moin emphasized that being too friendly can give the other team a mental advantage. “When you act this way, the other side feels stronger and starts dominating you mentally,” he said.
He added that he always encouraged professionalism when he was in leadership roles. “Even Wasim Akram disliked this kind of behavior. Players in the past, like Wasim, Waqar, and Shoaib, never joked around or took selfies with Indian players during matches.”
Moin’s remarks come after recent friendly moments between Pakistani and Indian cricketers, such as Shaheen Afridi gifting Jasprit Bumrah a present after his daughter’s birth and players like Babar Azam and Shadab Khan sharing lighter moments with Kohli during matches.
Moin stressed the need for Pakistani players to rediscover their competitive spirit and maintain professionalism on the field.
