Hasan Raza stirred controversy by calling for an inquiry into the handling of cricket balls used by Indian players during matches, especially after India’s dominant 302-run victory against Sri Lanka.
Former Pakistan cricketer Hasan Raza sparked controversy by calling for an inquiry into the handling of cricket balls used by Indian players during ODI World Cup 2023 matches. Raza’s comments came in the aftermath of India’s dominant 302-run victory against Sri Lanka.
On a Pakistani news channel, Raza expressed his doubts about the ball treatment, by saying, “Shayad ball be change ho jata hai second innings mein; jiss tareeke se ICC ball de raha hai, ya fir third umpire panel de raha hai, ya BCCI de raha hai; iska inspection hona chahiye. (Perhaps the ball changes in the second innings; the way ICC is providing the ball, or maybe the third umpire panel is providing it, or BCCI is providing it; it should be inspected.)”
India remains the sole undefeated team in the 2023 Cricket World Cup, clinching a spot in the semi-finals with a dominant 302-run victory over Sri Lanka. Raza drew a comparison between Indian bowlers and legendary South African duo Allan Donald and Makhaya Ntini, highlighting that the ball’s condition seemed to change significantly during India’s bowling spells.
His remarks garnered attention on social media, with former Indian cricketer Aakash Chopra expressing disbelief and humorously questioning the seriousness of the discussion by tweeting:
“Is it a serious cricket show? If not, please mention ‘satire’ or ‘comedy’ in English somewhere. I mean…it might be written in Urdu already but unfortunately, I can’t read/understand it.”
India’s impeccable record in World Cup 2023 includes wins against Pakistan, Australia, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, New Zealand, England and Sri Lanka placing them at the top of the points table with 14 points whilst Pakistan’s prospects in the ICC World Cup 2023 are dwindling as they’ve lost four of their last five matches. Their win against Bangladesh has raised hopes, but their road to the semi-finals remains challenging.
Pakistan must win all remaining matches and improve their net run rate. Their clash against New Zealand on November 3, will decide if they go big or go home as this match would determine if they stand at a possible qualification into the semi-finals.
Last Updated on November 3, 2023
