Pakistan Win U-19 Asia Cup, but Aaqib Javed Praises Indian Cricket System

New Delhi: Pakistan clinched the Under-19 Asia Cup 2025 title with a dominant 191-run victory over India in the final. Despite the emphatic win, Pakistan’s chief selector and head of the National Cricket Academy, Aaqib Javed, drew attention to India’s cricketing structure, openly praising the Indian system and calling it a model worth following.

Speaking ahead of the final on a Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) podcast, former fast bowler Aaqib Javed said he has closely studied India’s success story and has attempted to implement similar ideas to strengthen Pakistan cricket. “The success of any cricketing nation depends on the quality of its talent,” he said, underlining the importance of a strong grassroots system.

Aaqib highlighted India’s consistent performances in limited-overs cricket, noting their triumphs in the T20 World Cup last year, the Champions Trophy in Dubai earlier this year, and the Asia Cup in September, where India defeated Pakistan in the final.

Recalling a 2006 tour, Aaqib said that a senior Indian official had requested a visit to Lahore’s LCCA Ground, then regarded as one of the region’s top cricket academies. He admitted, however, that Pakistan has since fallen behind in getting the basics right. “You can appoint any captain, coach or selector, but unless you have quality talent, nothing will change,” he said. According to him, true improvement comes from building bench strength, increasing competition, and investing in proper infrastructure and systems.

Aaqib, who recently served as Pakistan’s interim head coach, expressed confidence that Pakistan cricket is now moving in the right direction. Looking ahead to the T20 World Cup scheduled to be held in India and Sri Lanka next year, he said this could be Pakistan’s best opportunity to make a strong global impact.

“We have good players, better coordination, and most importantly, we now have options,” Aaqib said. He added that playing all World Cup matches in Sri Lanka would work in Pakistan’s favour, noting that conditions there suit the team better than venues like Australia or South Africa.

Despite India’s loss in the final, Aaqib Javed’s remarks underline the global respect for India’s cricketing ecosystem—one that continues to set benchmarks beyond match results.