Waqar Younis picks mostly Indians in combined XI, snubs several Pakistan greats

Former Pakistan fast bowler Waqar Younis was recently asked to build a dream combined XI using only Indian and Pakistani players, and his answers left fans genuinely surprised. Appearing on the Shubhankar Mishra Podcast for a rapid-fire segment, Waqar ended up selecting just one Pakistan player across the entire eleven, with every other choice coming from India.

Waqar, now 54, made his international debut in 1989 and went on to represent Pakistan in 87 Tests and 262 ODIs, taking 373 and 416 wickets in those formats, respectively. Having played in numerous India-Pakistan clashes over the years, he experienced the intensity of that rivalry up close, which made his heavily India-leaning selections all the more striking.

Which players did Waqar Younis choose in the rapid-fire round?

The segment presented Waqar with head-to-head choices between Indian and Pakistani players. He picked Sachin Tendulkar over Inzamam-ul-Haq, Virat Kohli over Babar Azam, Rahul Dravid over Younis Khan, MS Dhoni over Javed Miandad, Rohit Sharma over Fakhar Zaman, VVS Laxman over Misbah-ul-Haq, Mohammed Shami over Mohammed Amir, and Jasprit Bumrah over Shaheen Afridi.

The sole Pakistan representative in Waqar's combined XI was opener Shahid Anwar, whom he preferred over Virender Sehwag. That single selection meant eight of the nine completed choices went to Indian players, a result that few observers would have anticipated from a former Pakistan captain and one of the country's most celebrated pace bowlers.

Waqar was also asked to choose between 15-year-old Indian batting sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and Pakistan's 20-year-old youngster Sameer Minhas. He declined to name either, explaining that he had not seen enough of both players to make a fair judgement.

What else is happening in Indian and Pakistan cricket right now?

On the international front, India are currently on an all-format tour of New Zealand. Shreyas Iyer's side have already secured an unassailable 3-0 lead in the five-match T20I series, with the five-Test series and two ODIs still to follow.

Pakistan, meanwhile, are engaged in a home ODI tri-series that also features England and Sri Lanka. After registering three consecutive victories, the hosts have confirmed their place in the final, where they are set to face Sri Lanka on Saturday.