Aakash Chopra. (Image: X)
Chopra hit out at the people who were spreading false narratives about Indian fans. According to the cricketer-turned-commentator, no Pakistani players have so far complained about such an occurrence.
Former Indian cricketer Akash Chopra seems to be irked by those Pakistani fans who criticised the Ahmedabad crowd’s behaviour during the World Cup clash between the two Asian rivals on October 14.
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Pakistan’s team director Mickey Arthur also raised the same question, claiming that the DJ at the stadium was only playing India-related songs during the match. According to Arthur, the lack of support from the crowd had made an impact on Pakistan’s performance. In a widely viral video, a section of the Indian supporters was heard chanting “Jai Shree Ram” when Muhammad Rizwan was entering the dressing room after his dismissal.
Speaking on his YouTube channel, Chopra referred to the clip and lashed out at the people who were spreading false narratives about Indian fans. According to the cricketer-turned-commentator, no Pakistani players have so far complained about such an occurrence.
“I haven’t heard any Pakistani players speaking. Mickey Arthur was the only one to say. But if anyone among the players speaks and if you notice a certain pattern of behaviour or a problem, then you might need to take a closer look at why it happened with only one guy,” Chopra explained.
The ex-Indian opener further denied accepting that the home fans didn’t treat the Pakistani players in a desirable way. “Twenty or thirty-second snippets cannot tell the complete story. There are many people who can testify to the fact that India is a very loving and inclusive country. Anyone with an agenda is free to promote it,” Akash Chopra added. He also dug out the reference to Afghanistan players who have got a lot of support from the Indian crowd.
Akash Chopra’s stern remarks came after Mickey Arthur pointed at the one-sided nature of the Ahmedabad crowd. During the post-match press conference, Arthur said that the match seemed more like a BCCI event than an ICC tournament. “It didn’t seem like an ICC event to be brutally honest. It seemed like a bilateral series; it seemed like a BCCI event. I didn’t hear Dil Dil Pakistan coming through the microphones too often tonight,” the former South African cricketer said.
Arthur’s comments, however, did not go down well with Pakistan great Wasim Akram. During an interaction with a Pakistani news channel A Sports, Akram called out the team director, asking for some solid reasons for their humiliating loss to India, rather than putting stress on random stuff.
“I don’t know what to make of this statement. Tell us what your plans were against Kuldeep Yadav, that’s what we want to hear, not just random stuff. Do you think you can get away with this?” Akram said, as quoted by the Times of India.
Thanks to their seven-wicket win, India managed to continue their unbeaten streak against Pakistan in the ICC ODI World Cup. Both neighbouring countries have faced off in this marquee tournament eight times so far, with the Men in Blue having the last laugh on every occasion.