Ahmedabad: Indian player Virat Kohli presented his own signed jerseys to Pakistan captain Babar Azam. Former Pakistan skipper Wasim Akram said that the captain’s actions are rubbing salt in the wounds of the fans who are suffering from the miserable defeat in the match.
The players’ jerseys were handed over after the India-Pak match in the ODI Cricket World Cup held in Ahmedabad. After the award ceremony, the players of both the teams spent time on the field and shared friendship. Kohli, who got close to the opposing players, had a long talk with captain Babar Azam. Finally, he gifted his two jerseys to Azam.
The incident was applauded by fans of both teams on social media, but former Pakistan captain and commentator Wasim Akram was not amused. Akram’s resentment was that he publicly accepted the jersey from the player of the opposing team after suffering a huge defeat. Akram also made his displeasure public in an interview to a Pak TV channel.
Azam was seen receiving two jerseys from Kohli. The clip was also seen being shown repeatedly on channels and social media. This will further upset the Pakistan fans who are hurting from the loss. No captain should have done that when the fans were frustrated after the team’s disappointing performance. The occasion was not right. Not only that, if your uncle’s son asked for Kohli’s jersey, it would have been appropriate to go to the dressing room and buy it – Akram said openly.
At the same time, Akram’s response also led to criticism on social media. Most of the comments were about praising the players who maintain their friendship outside the field even when they are honking each other’s horns on the field. The world has witnessed when the bilateral relations between the countries were not so pleasant and before the warm friendship between the athletes of the two sides.
When Indian pacer Jasprit Bumrah became a father during the Asia Cup, Pakistan pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi handed over a gift package to the baby. Similarly, Babar was among those who came to support Virat Kohli when he was under criticism for losing his form.
2023-10-15 19:40:00
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