India defeated arch-rivals Pakistan by seven wickets on Saturday to take an unassailable 8-0 lead in the ICC ODI World Cups. However, Pakistan team director Mickey Arthur said after the match that the clash felt more like a “bilateral series” than an ICC event.
Also Read| India vs Pakistan Score Highlights: India continues its supremacy, secures 8th World Cup win against Pakistan
While Arthur did not elaborate on his statement due to the risk of fines, he did allude to the lack of Pakistani support at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, with over 1,00,000 Indian fans cheering on the Men in Blue.
Speaking at the post-match press conference, Arthur said, “Look, I’d be lying if I said it didn’t. It didn’t seem like an ICC event to be brutally honest. It seemed like a bilateral series; it seemed like a BCCI event. I didn’t hear ‘Dil Dil Pakistan’ coming through the microphones too often tonight.”
However, Arthur refused to blame the home support for the Indian side as a reason for Pakistan’s defeat on Saturday. He said, “So yes, that does play a role, but I’m not going to use that as an excuse because for us it was about living the moment, it was about the next ball and it was about how we were going to combat the Indian, the Indian players tonight,”
Wasim Akram responds:
Former Pakistani pacer Wasim Akram wasn’t too happy about Mickey Arthur’s comments on the crowd and called it ‘diverting attention’. Akram was quoted as saying by Sportskeeda, “(He is) diverting attention. A lot of people are disheartened and you’re making them emotional. I think he should discuss what is his job as a professional rather than showing a new path. As a coach, he shouldn’t have said that.
Also Read| India Vs Pakistan ICC World Cup 2023: ‘Our target was 280-290 but…’ says Babar Azam on team’s batting
The former Pakistani pace battery instead questioned what was the Pakistan team’s plan for all-important match. He said, “Brother, tell me what was the plan? How did you prepare to play Kuldeep Yadav? That’s what we want to hear. Not this random stuff. You think you can get away with this. No, you can’t, unfortunately.”
“Exciting news! Mint is now on WhatsApp Channels 🚀 Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest financial insights!” Click here!
Download The Mint News App to get Daily Market Updates & Live Business News.
More
Less
Updated: 15 Oct 2023, 07:13 AM IST
Denial of responsibility! Samachar Central is an automatic aggregator of Global media. In each content, the hyperlink to the primary source is specified. All trademarks belong to their rightful owners, and all materials to their authors. For any complaint, please reach us at – [email protected]. We will take necessary action within 24 hours.
Hasibur Rahaman is a passionate sports journalist. He covers everything from cricket to field hockey, delivering up-to-the-minute updates and in-depth analysis of sporting events, both within India and on the international stage.
