New Delhi: The India-Pakistan clash in the 2023 Asian Cup last week had many bases. The two teams face off for the first time since the 2022 T20 World Cup and the entertainment is enough.

The Indian players struggled against Pakistani point guards Shaheen Afridi, Haris Rauf and Naseem Shah as they were only able to score 266. However, the Indian pitchers had no chance to show their calibre as it rained.

Before the match and even after the match, members of the Indian cricket team and the Pakistan cricket team could be seen sharing happy moments. Former Indian cricketer Gautam Gambhir, a member of the 2011 World Cup winning team, told Star Sports that the Indian team represents a billion people and should not show any acts of friendship inside stadium.

“When you play on the field for your national team, you must leave the friendship outside the boundary ropes. Game face hona zaroori hai. Dosti bahaar rehni chahiye. There has to be an aggression in the eyes of both sets of players,” Gautam Gambhir said

“You can be as friendly as you want after those six or seven hours of cricket. Those hours are very important because you’re not just representing yourself, you’re representing a nation of over a billion.

Afridi’s Reply 

Former Pakistan cricket captain Shahid Afridi commented on the matter today, saying he disapproves of Gautam Gambhir’s school of thought. Cricket India will meet Pakistan again on Sunday in the Super 4 match at the Asian Cup in Sri Lanka.

“That is his thought. I think differently. We are cricketers and ambassadors as well, we all have fans across the globe. So it is better to send out a message of love and respect. Yes there is aggression on the field, but there is life off the field as well,” Shahid Afridi told Pakistan media on Wednesday.

Shahid Afridi responded to Gautam Gambhir’s statement.#PAKvIND | #Cricket | #Pakistan | #ShahidAfridi | #GautamGambhir | #AsiaCup2023 | #Karachi | #India pic.twitter.com/Dqb2UHfbyW

— Khel Shel (@khelshel) September 5, 2023