Furious Shoaib Akhtar, a former sprinter for Pakistan, expressed his displeasure with rumors that India was purposefully wanting to lose to Sri Lanka in the 2023 Asia Cup. Shoaib Akhtar complimented the commitment and tenacity of the Sri Lankan players.
Pakistani supporters claimed that India tried to deliberately lose the Super Four match against Sri Lanka in order to knock Pakistan out of the current continental championship. On Tuesday, September 12, at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo, Sri Lanka was bowled out for just 213 runs.
Furious Shoaib Akhtar, “Don’t Know What You Guys Are Doing,”
Shoaib Akhtar expressed his admiration for the bowling prowess of Dunith Wellalalge and Charith Asalanka in a video posted to his YouTube page.
“It’s not clear to me what you’re up to. I am receiving texts and memes that claim ‘India has manipulated the game’ and that they are purposefully losing against Pakistan,” Akhtar stated.
“Are you okay? A strong Sri Lankan bowling attack is in full swing. Wellalalge and Asalanka gave it their all when bowling. Did you notice that young man, 20? During his innings, he took five wickets and scored 43 runs. I am receiving phone calls from India and other nations claiming that India was losing on purpose.
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Why Would They Lose? – Furious Shoaib Akhtar
Shoaib Akhtar emphasized that India would place more importance on qualifying for the championship than worrying over Pakistan’s disqualification. He commended Kuldeep Yadav and Jasprit Bumrah for their efforts throughout the match to defend a modest total.
Tell me why they would lose. They desire to advance to the final. It ends up that you create memes for no apparent reason. India made a fantastic comeback. It was huge the way Kuldeep played. Look at Jasprit Bumrah and the fight he put up while defending a meager total, he continued.
Furious Shoaib Akhtar: Pakistani Players Couldn’t Show This Fight
The Rawalpindi pacer noted how the Sri Lankan team fought hard to win the game, particularly Dunith Wellalage’s dual-role performance with bat and ball.
“Wellalage, a young man of 20, is fighting. It’s all he can do to pitch and bat well. Pakistani athletes were unable to demonstrate this fight. Our speed bowlers do not participate. When did they last play 25–30 ODIs in a row? Naseem Shah, Shaheen Afridi, and Haris Rauf are expected to bowl their 10 overs without injury. Pakistan should recommit itself to the struggle. This was embarrassing.
The Super Four game between Pakistan and India resulted in a 228-run loss for Pakistan, which is their second-worst defeat in ODI history following a 234-run loss to Sri Lanka in 2009. If they defeat Sri Lanka in their following encounter on September 14, the Babar Azam-led team would proceed to the final.
“Class, class chodo bhai!” – Shoaib Akhtar on Babar Azam
A six-ball knock against Sri Lanka put a stop to Azam’s terrible Asia Cup performance. In the entire tournament, he scored just 68 runs and had trouble getting going. Even in the championship game, Pakistan’s captain went out after being caught at fine leg off a delivery that ought to have been hit for a boundary.
Akhtar clarified how Azam was making shots that weren’t natural for him. The former speedster has reservations about other hitters in pressure situations, like as Fakhar Zaman and Iftikhar Ahmed. Zaman was out against Sri Lanka for a golden duck, whereas Ahmed was out after making 32 off 31 balls.