Irfan Pathan responds to Pakistani players aggression: ‘If you say something, we will answer with our game and words’
Pakistan's players faced criticism for their behavior during the Asia Cup match against India amid Operation Sindoor, with Indian cricketer Irfan Pathan slamming Haris Rauf and Sahibzada Farhan for their “poor” sportsmanship on field.
Indian cricketer and commentator Irfan Pathan has called out Pakistani players Haris Rauf and Sahibzada Farhan, for their controversial behaviour on field during the Asia Cup match against India on September 21 (Sunday). He felt that the behaviour of Pakistani players was not in the spirit of sportsmanship and added that India would answer with continued wins.
India registered a six-wicket victory over Pakistan by chasing the 172-run target, but the triumph was overshadowed by controversial gestures made by Rauf and Farhan during the match.
Among those who made their opinion clear was Pathan, who posted a video addressing the issue on his YouTube and other social media pages. Notably, tensions between the two neighbours have been simmering, after Indian conducted Operation Sindoor following a terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Kashmir.
What did Irfan Pathan say? ‘We will answer you … with our game’
“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. That’s why all the players said on social media, that you will keep talking, we will keep winning. It’s a straightforward message,” Pathan said.
He added that even if Indian players did not shake hands with their Pakistani counterparts, their behaviour on field was civil. “Indian cricketers are never affected. We never say anything. We quietly play our 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 game, and we will answer you,” he warned.
Irfan Pathan: ‘Behaviour of Pakistani players very poor’ — WATCH
Irfan Pathan on Haris Rauf, Sahibzada Farhan's gestures
In the extended video on YouTube, Pathan further said Indian fans only engage with Pakistani cricket from a rivalry standpoint during India-Pakistan matches and do not comment on other games. “We never even talk in the media about how Pakistan lost, how they lost to Zimbabwe in World Cup 2022. I didn’t tweet, nor did anyone else, because it didn’t matter to anyone that you win or you lose. We analyse them properly, do proper detailing, but we don’t care,” he added.
Addressing the “AK-47” gun gesture by Sahibzada Farhan and the 6-0 gesture (indicating Pakistan's claims that it downed six Indian fighter jets) by Haris Rauf, Pathan felt that they took their taunting too far.
“But if you mess with us, we won’t let you go. That has been our rule. What happened in the match yesterday, whether was that Farhan’s celebration, you know what is happening between our two countries, and you are doing that celebration. Haris Rauf, I thought this boy was okay. When we spoke in Australia he sounded grateful. But the way he behaved yesterday, that was not necessary. How both these boys acted only tells us about their upbringing, where they come from and what they do,” he ended.