Former Pakistan skipper Wasim Akram isn’t a fan of Babar Azam’s public display of getting Virat Kohli’s jersey after a humiliating seven wicket-loss against India in the ongoing ODI World Cup 2023. After the match, Indian batting ace Virat Kohli gave Babar Azam a jersey, and the gesture instantly went viral on social media.
India moved to the top of the table after blanking Pakistan by seven wickets in front of a jam-packed Ahmedabad stadium during a much-anticipated World Cup league match. The Men in Green had no clue in the match, as they went down without a fight in the game.
During a panel discussion on the show, The Pavilion, Following the game, Babar and Kohli were spotted chatting on the field, during which Kohli gave Babar a few India jerseys. Although the deed gained much praise on social media, not everyone was impressed as Wasim Akram believes that these kinds of things should have happened in a private space rather than open ground hurting the sentiments of the fans.
“I can see Babar is receiving two shirts from Virat Kohli, Everybody is showing this clip over and over again. But after your fans are so hurt after a disappointing performance, this should be a private matter, it should not be done in an open ground,” he added.
“That’s what I exactly said when I saw the picture [getting the shirts publicly, not privately], Today was not the day to do this. If you want to do it – if your uncle’s son has asked you to get Kohli’s shirt – then do it after the game in the dressing room,” Wasim Akram said.
India chose to bat first after winning the toss. Pakistan struggled to bat through all 50 overs and was dismissed for just 192 runs. India’s response was to score the target with ease and win the game by seven wickets with Rohit Sharma’s outstanding 86-ball performance helping India surpass Pakistan’s 192-run total inside 31 overs in the game.
After a tough loss against India, Pakistan will attempt a spectacular recovery on October 20 against a damaged Australian team. Pat Cummins–led side has failed to win in this competition after suffering demoralizing defeats to South Africa and India, while the five-time champions will also look to turn around things to remain in contention to make it into the final four of the ODI World Cup.