Emotions always run high in any contest that involves India and Pakistan. This is especially true when the arch-rivals lock horns in a cricket match. Both teams locked horns in an enthralling Super 4 match of the Asia Cup on September 4. It was indeed a high-voltage contest where Babar Azam & Co edged past Rohit Sharma’s India by 5 wickets.
Recently, former captain Shahid Afridi shared an interesting anecdote from that match. While speaking to Pakistan’s Samaa TV, he revealed that his daughter was waving the Indian flag during the high-voltage Super 4 encounter. The legendary all-rounder further said there was a shortage of Pakistan flags at the Dubai International Stadium, so his daughter took the Indian tri-colour.
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“My wife told me that there were barely 10% Pakistani fans in the stadium and the rest were Indian fans. Pakistani flags were not available there so my younger daughter was waving the Indian flag. I received the video, but I was unsure about whether to share it online or not”, Afridi was quoted as saying.
Afridi’s candid admission has surprised cricket fans from both sides of the border. While some Pakistani fans have questioned Afridi over his daughter’s actions, others have praised his forthrightness. One fan wrote, “Why was Shahid Afridi’s daughter holding the Indian flag?”
Why Shahid Afridi’s daughter was holding Indian flag???…#pakvsindia #PakvInd #INDvPAK pic.twitter.com/nV4HTMgodR
— Muhammad Noman (@nomanedits) September 5, 2022
It is worth noting that India and Pakistan faced off twice in the Asia Cup. While India won the group stage encounter, Pakistan triumphed in the Super 4 clash. Pakistan wicketkeeper-batter Mohammad Rizwan played a stellar knock of 71 runs off 51 balls to help Pakistan chase down the competitive target of 182 in 19.5 overs. After Pakistan’s win, Shahid Afridi tweeted and congratulated the Pakistan team on their incredible win. He had also described the India-Pakistan matches as the greatest sporting event in the world.
Although Pakistan managed to qualify for the Asia Cup final, they were dealt a humiliating defeat by Sri Lanka in the all-important match. Dasun Shanaka-led Sri Lanka showed great fighting spirit to cause an upset in the final.
Bhanuka Rajapaksa starred with the bat and notched up a stellar knock of 71 runs off just 45 balls to propel Sri Lanka’s total to 170 runs. While chasing a tricky target, Pakistan batters choked under the pressure applied by the disciplined Sri Lankan bowling. Pakistan could only manage 147 runs in their 20 overs and lost the high-stakes match by 23 runs.
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