Why Shoaib Akhtar is the Perfect Face of “Waqt Badal Diya Jazbaat Badal Diye” Meme?

Shoaib Akhtar, a former Pakistani player, quickly changed sides after his team lost the match against India, even after setting a good total. Later, his statements against Pakistan, saying that the team is now weak, have put him in the headlines.

When it comes to the Pakistan cricket memes, the majority of fans would keep the iconic reaction, “Waqt Badal Diya, Jazbaat Badal Diye” at the top. This famous reaction came from a Pakistani fan in the 2019 World Cup, but now it seems that Shoaib Akhtar has taken the perfect face for the meme.

Before India and Pakistan faced each other at the Super Fours, Shoaib Akhtar seemed super confident that Pakistan would come out on top. He even said that he had done the prayers and they would be fulfilled, showcasing his support for the Pakistani team.

Pic Source: Bhaskar English

However, he changed sides within hours and went on to criticise the Pakistani team's performance, along with their captain, Salman Agha’s decisions. This also makes Shoaib Akhtar the perfect example of the “Waqt Badal Diya, Jazbaat Badal Diye”meme. But Akhtar has said various things against the Pakistan team this time, which will be seen in this blog.

1. Akhtar Predicts Indian Supremacy

Just a few days ago, when India and Pakistan were about to face each other for the first time in the Asia Cup 2025, Shoaib Akhtar backed India to win the clash. But, he didn't just back India to win the game, he also said that Pakistan would be getting a humiliating loss against India in this game.

Pic Source: Cricfit

In a Pakistani show, he said, "It is pretty obvious they are going to dominate you. They are gonna make sure that they hammer you. That's very simple. If I stretch it far, when it comes to making a statement, they would like to play against Afghanistan in the final, not Pakistan.”

2. Shoaib Akhtar Targets Salman Agha

After India defeated Pakistan for the second time in the Asia Cup, Shoaib Akhtar lashed out at the team's captain, Salman Agha. He said, “I am very surprised by the coach (Mike Hesson). As far as the captain, he doesn’t know anything anyways (usko kuch pata nahi hai,) what is he captaining, what is he playing in the middle.”

Pic Source: NDTV Sports

Besides this, he also tagged Agha as the weak link by saying, “He is the weakest link of the team. Does he deserve to play in the spot he is playing? No one will discuss this. He is the weakest link in the middle. What does he do? Tell me? He comes at No.6 and for India, you have Hardik Pandya or Tilak coming there. Karo comparison.”Shoaib Akhtar, who once even favoured Pakistan to win the clash in the Super Fours, quickly went to strike the captain after the team's loss.

3. Akhtar Labels Current Pakistan Team Inferior

Before India and Pakistan faced each other for the second time in Asia Cup 2025, He also extended his support to the Pakistani team, hoping that they would come out victorious this time against India. But things took a sharp turn, as India once again defeated Pakistan in a humiliating way.

After the match, Shoaib Akhtar compared the current Pakistan team with the team's prime era, when they had won the World Cup for the first time. He said that the Pakistani team in 1994 had prime players such as Waqar Younis, Shoaib Akhtar, Abdur Razzaq, Saqlain Mushtaq, and many more, but the Indian team didn't play against them at that time.

Akhtar also compared the World Cup-winning Pakistan team with the current team, as he said that the Indian team has improved, but the Pakistan team has downgraded, and it is no longer a rivalry like it used to be. Changing sides from the Pakistan team to the Indian team, he went back to neither side, saying that it is a loss for the Indian media to have their team play against a weak team like Pakistan.