“Should understand, this is just a game”: Afghanistan assistant coach on reckless crowd behaviour in Asia Cup 2022
Tempers were flaring on and off the pitch during the Super4 encounter between Pakistan and Afghanistan in Asia Cup on September 7. The Babar Azam-led side edged past Afghanistan by one wicket in a nail-biting encounter to secure their place in the finals of the continental tournament and knock their opponents out of the competition. Pakistan struggled to chase down a modest target of 130 runs and were reduced to 110/8 before tail-ender Naseem Shah smashed two consecutive sixes in the final over to snatch victory from the jaws of Afghanistan.
However, things went downhill as the frustrated Afghan fans went berserk in the Sharjah Stadium, destroying chairs and hurling them toward Pakistan supporters in the stands. The footage of the unruly behaviour of the Afghanistan fans quickly went viral on social media. Earlier in the match, Afghanistan pacer Fareed Ahmed Malik got into a heated argument with Pakistan’s Asif Ali. The two charged down each other, exchanged words and in the end, Ali raised his bat to threaten Malik.
Speaking at a press conference after the game against India on Thursday, Afghanistan assistant coach Raees Ahmadzai regretted the behaviour of Afghan players and fans. He said that the altercation between Malik and Ali happened in the heat of the moment and both players are responsible to maintain the dignity of the game. Ahmadzai urged that the crowds should leave the heat of the game on the pitch.
“I think the players are well aware of the rules and regulations of the game but sometimes in the heat of the moment, you cannot control yourself. The crowd should understand that this is just a game and sports should be treated as sports, and should not be involved in anything critically,” Raees Ahmadzai was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.
Ahmadzai concluded that physical violence should be avoided at all costs and that he will certainly instruct his players to stay within their limits, to avoid any such wayward incidents.
“Physical violence is something every player should avoid. Sledging or talking to someone is different but the rules and regulations do not allow you to do physical violence. We will inform our players to be within the limit and never cross the line,” the assistant coach added.
This isn’t the first time that the Afghan-Pakistan fans caused a commotion and turned heads for all the wrong reasons. During the ICC 2019 ODI World Cup, fans of both Asian teams were involved in a series of scuffles at Leeds, Headingly, after Pakistan trounced the Afghan side by three wickets in a riveting game.
Get the latest Cricket News, Schedule and Cricket Live Scores here