Former Pakistani cricketer and current Prime Minister Imran Khan has not forgiven Pakistani captain Sarfaraz Ahmed for the Men in Green's loss against Team India in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 which was held in England.
Khan, at an event, said that one should win the toss and bat first. He added that it is a mindset and captains will have this dilemma throughout life, as quoted by Geo TV. "You win the toss and bat – don't bat second. This is a mindset. You will have this dilemma throughout life," Khan said.
Incidentally, the former World Cup-winning captain had adviced Sarfaraz Ahmed to bat first in case the pitch is not damp. But the Pakistani captain did not pay heed to the former legendary cricketer and chose to bowl first. The final result was that India defeated Pakistan by 89 runs.
The match between the two cricketing rivals that happened on June 16 witnessed a cakewalk victory for the Men in Blue as they did not allow the Pakistani team to take hold of the match.
The game took place a couple of months back but still, Imran Khan has not forgotten the incident as the regret is still there in his mind. That is why he did not shy away from taking a dig at the decision of Sarfaraz even after such a long while.
Team India set up a massive target of 337 runs for their rivals to chase after they were sent to bat first by Pakistan in the rain-interrupted match. Rohit Sharma led the attack of the Indian batting and finished his innings scoring 140 runs. During the chase, Pakistan started losing wickets at regular intervals and eventually lost the match.
After the contest, the Pakistani cricketers were criticised by netizens who questioned their commitment and fitness. Moreover, pictures surfaced on the social media which featured Shoaib Malik smoking sheesha before the match ane they were not received well by the Pakistani cricket fans.
If Sarfaraz Ahmed had listened to Imran Khan and batted first Pakistan may well have recorded their first World Cup win against India. But, the Pakistan captain did not do so and it will compel him to think all his life.
