Mitchell McClenaghan’s Stinging Reply to Pakistani Journalist’s ‘Money Over National Duty’ Criticism For New Zealand Players

June 14, 2024 0 828

New Zealand fast bowler Mitchell McClenaghan countered a Pakistani journalist’s criticism on social media brutally.

Former New Zealand fast bowler Mitchell McClenaghan fired back on social media after a Pakistani journalist accused the New Zealand team of prioritising money over national duty in the ongoing T20 World Cup.

New Zealand’s T20 World Cup campaign is on the brink of collapse after consecutive losses to Afghanistan and the West Indies. This prompted Pakistani journalist Imran Siddiqui to take a swipe at the team on Twitter, stating, “This is what happens when you prefer money over national duty. New Zealand had a great chance to prepare themselves for the World Cup 2024 on the Pakistan Tour, but their main players chose the IPL, and now they are out of the World Cup.”

McClenaghan, known for his outspoken personality on social media, wasted no time in delivering a stinging response. He pointed out Pakistan’s own struggles in the tournament, tweeting, “Very poor take. You (Pakistan) lost games to our C side, Ireland, and the USA.”

Very poor take.

You lost games to our C side, Ireland and the USA https://t.co/jfHQl2b0Xa
— Mitchell McClenaghan (@Mitch_Savage) June 13, 2024

Pakistan has indeed endured a disappointing tournament, suffering defeats to both the USA and arch-rivals India. It’s noteworthy that Pakistan had recently drawn a T20I series against a New Zealand team, missing several key players who were participating in the IPL. McClenaghan’s tweet cleverly highlighted this fact.

The former Kiwi pacer also chimed in on a comment praising West Indies’ Sherfane Rutherford, who has impressed despite not featuring in a single match for the Kolkata Knight Riders in IPL 2024.

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Several New Zealand stars, including Rachin Ravindra, Daryl Mitchell, Mitchell Santner, Trent Boult, Lockie Ferguson, Glenn Phillips, and captain Kane Williamson, participated in IPL 2024 before the World Cup.

New Zealand’s struggles have been evident throughout the tournament. They were first skittled out for 75 runs by Afghanistan and then fell short while chasing a modest target of 150 against the West Indies. These defeats leave them on the verge of an embarrassing group-stage exit, with two matches remaining.