'They’re not the best,' Former England all-rounder slams Pakistan's pace attack

Former England cricketer Moeen Ali has raised doubts about Pakistan’s pace attack, questioning their status among the world's elite following their underwhelming performances in the recently concluded 2025 Champions Trophy.

His remarks, made during a podcast with fellow England player Adil Rashid, have sparked significant debate within the cricketing community.

During the discussion, Moeen acknowledged the talent of Pakistan’s seamers—Naseem Shah, Shaheen Afridi and Haris Rauf—but expressed skepticism about their claim to being the best in world cricket.

“There’s this perception, especially among people with Pakistani backgrounds, that Pakistan has the best seamers. I’m like, no. They’re good, but they’re not the best,” Moeen stated.

He elaborated further, saying, “Naseem Shah, Shaheen, and Haris Rauf are very good, don’t get me wrong. We’re not saying they’re bad, but they’re not the best either.”

Moeen’s remarks come at a time when the trio has been widely praised in Pakistan, yet their performances in the 2025 Champions Trophy have raised doubts about their ability to excel at the highest level.

In recent years, the trio has faced challenges in major international tournaments, as Moeen pointed out. Despite being considered among the top fast-bowling talents, they have frequently struggled to perform under pressure.

Their recent outings in the Champions Trophy highlighted these struggles, as they failed to make significant breakthroughs against strong opposition.

An analysis of their performances in two crucial matches against New Zealand and India shows that Pakistan’s pace trio proved expensive, conceding a high number of runs against both teams.

Shaheen Afridi struggled in both matches, conceding 68 runs in 10 overs against New Zealand without taking a wicket, finishing with an economy rate of 6.80. Against India, he bowled eight overs, conceding 72 runs while taking two wickets at an economy rate of 9.25.

Naseem Shah had a mixed outing, picking up two wickets for 63 runs in 10 overs against New Zealand. However, he remained wicketless against India, conceding 37 runs in his eight-over spell.

Haris Rauf was Pakistan’s most expensive bowler against New Zealand, leaking 83 runs in his 10-over spell while taking two wickets. Against India, he failed to pick up a wicket, conceding 52 runs in seven overs.