Although Pakistan’s cricket team has not impressed with its performance in the 2023 World Cup, it is the country’s four former captains – Wasim Akram, Moin Khan, Misbah-ul-Haq and Shoaib Malik – who have won applause for their top quality. analysis of all matches during the tournament in the “Pavilion” TV show.

Aired on a Pakistani channel And Sportthe show has gained significant viewership in India with episodes uploaded daily to the channel’s YouTube accounts.

The program was praised for adopting “no jingoism”, being “neutral” and offering the “best analysis” of the ongoing Cricket World Cup.

Former Indian captain Sourav Ganguly is among those who have publicly praised the show. While talking to A Sports, he said, “I watch them all…Wasim Akram, Misbah-ul-Haq and Moin Khan. I watch their show regularly,” he said.

The show aired daily during the World Cup, with pundits analyzing all cricket matches, not just those involving Pakistan.

“Pakistan had a pretty miserable World Cup, but probably the best cricket show of the World Cup came from Pakistan TV: The Pavilion. No banter, no noise, just solid analysis and real talk from former players. If only our sports/news channels/pundits would take a cue. This is a world cup, not a domestic tournament just for Indian stars. Of course we love Virat, Rohit and our team, but let’s talk about the game and other players sometime! (sic),” Indian journalist Rajdeep Sardesai posted on the X social network.

“Agreed. “The Pavilion” presented by far the best analysis of this year’s #WorldCup. Wasim Akram, Misbah ul Haq, Moin Khan and Shoaib Malik excelled as analysts. Their take on India repeatedly shows that they prioritized cricket over juggling. Their analysis of Rohit, Virat, Rahul and Gill on one side and Bumrah, Shami, Kuldip and Jadeja on the other side was excellent! (sic),” commented columnist Ashutosh Varshney.

Many sports journalists also praised the show. Sports news anchor Vikrant Gupta was among the social media users who asked the question under the ‘#AskThePavillion’ programme.

“Pakistan will be remembered most for the A Sports Pavilion at this World Cup,” wrote cricket analyst Abhishek Mukherjee.

Here’s how other social media users marked their appreciation for the show:

In the last episode aired on 11 November, when Pakistan was formally eliminated from the semi-final match, the panelists raised pertinent questions related to alleged structural flaws in Pakistan’s overall domestic cricket management. The country’s cricket board has failed to produce a pool of quality players as seen in India, experts pointed out.