Cricketer-turned-expert Irfan Pathan has slammed Pakistan players Haris Rauf and opener Sahibzada Farhan for their unwanted aggression during the India vs Pakistan match on September 21 in Dubai. The former India all-rounder, who has been one of the most outspoken and blunt ex-players in recent times, did not hold back his emotions in the way the Pakistani duo had a go at India openers Abhishek Sharma and Shubman Gill in the Super Four clash of the ongoing Continental Cup.
Speaking on his YouTube channel, Pathan expressed his straightforward views regarding what he thought about the situation and how Pakistani players behaved in Dubai during the game.
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“India wins, India progresses. This is the magic of India. But yesterday we got to see a lot of aggression, a lot of banter, to the extent that Abhishek Sharma said in the post-match presentation that they said things they shouldn’t have,” explained Pathan on his YouTube channel. “That’s why all the players said on social media, that you will keep talking, we will keep winning. It’s a straightforward message.”
The expert observed that India was laser-focused on the field and doing their job with proper intent and professionalism. Even though India yet again refused to shake hands with the Men In Green after the game, they would never resort to classless aggression.
“Indian cricketers are never affected. We never say anything. We quietly play cricket. But don’t think that we won’t respond if you say something, whether you’re Australian or Pakistani. We will answer. We will answer with our bat, and we will answer you.”
'If you mess with us...' Pathan's direct warning to Pakistan
Pathan's observation was that while Indian fans only engage with their arch-rivals' fans from a rivalry point of view when these two clash, Pakistan tend to resort to unnecessary sledging and aggression even when Indian players don't respond to them.
“We never even talk in the media about how Pakistan lost, how they lost to Zimbabwe in the World Cup 2022. I didn’t tweet, nor did anyone else, because it didn’t matter to anyone that you win or you lose,” he said. “We analyze them properly, do proper detailing, but we don’t care.”
Pathan felt Farhan's gun celebration after fifty, and Haris Rauf's unwanted aggression went too far during Sunday's clash.
“But if you mess with us, we won’t let you go. That has been our rule. What happened in the match yesterday, whether it was that Farhan’s celebration, you know what is happening between our two countries, and you are doing that celebration,” explained Pathan.
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“Haris Rauf, I thought this boy was okay. When we spoke in Australia, he sounded grateful. But the way he behaved yesterday was not necessary. How both these boys acted only tells us about their upbringing, where they come from, and what they do,” concluded the former Indian all-rounder.
