Afridi makes another provocative comment ahead of IND-PAK Asia Cup showdown: 'Still trying to prove they are Indian'

Shahid Afridi is in the limelight for the wrong reasons once again, this time in the build-up to the marquee fixture of the ongoing Asia Cup between India and Pakistan, which takes place in Dubai this Sunday. Former Pakistan captain Afridi had made provocative comments during the Pahalgam terror attack in India as well as during Operation Sindoor – India’s military response to the deadly attack.

‘Lala’ revisits WCL boycott ahead of Asia Cup clash

And amid calls for boycott of Sunday’s game between the two arch-rivals in Dubai , the 48-year-old revisited the World Championship of Legends that had taken place in the United Kingdom recently and lashed out at the Indian players who had taken part in that event for refusing to play against the Pakistanis .

“I have always said that cricket should go on; it has always helped in making the relations better between the two countries,” legendary all-rounder Afridi told Samaa TV.

“In England, people had bought tickets to see the WCL match (between India Champions and Pakistan Champions), and the players had practised. Then you didn’t play. What was the thinking? I just can’t understand,” he added.

Also Read | Afridi makes provocative comments on India, says ‘Modi now realises how costly it is to confront Pakistan’

Afridi even went to the extent of claiming that the some players are “trying to prove they are Indian” amid calls for the latest meeting between the two South Asian rivals to be boycotted that are coming from the eastern side of the Indo-Pakistani border.

“There are plenty of issues in India. Some people reach the houses of players and threaten to burn them down. Certain players are still trying to prove they are Indian. They have been displaying this ever since being born. Now they are doing commentary in the Asia Cup,” he continued.

Afridi rekindles ‘bad egg’ jibe

Afridi had taken a jibe at the member of the Indian Champions team, believed to be former India opener Shikhar Dhawan, by describing him as a “bad egg” after the Indian team boycotted not one but both of their matches against their arch-rivals in the second WCL season, including the semi-final. And in his latest comments, he chose to rekindle discussion on that jibe.

Also Read | Afridi stoops to new low after Dhawan criticism, takes Abhinandan jibe: ‘Aao tumhe chai pilata hun’

“If I name any player, then their lives would be made hard. The player I referred to as a bad egg, his captain also told him, ‘If you don’t want to play, then don’t play. Just don’t tweet on social media.’ That said, the player had come with an ulterior motive. That is why he was a bad egg,” he continued during the discussion.

Despite the BCCI and the Government of India’s approval for the match to go ahead, ticket sales for the India-Pakistan contest have been slower than usual and are yet to be sold out. The Asian Cricket Council, as a result, has been forced to slash ticket prices in a bid to encourage more fans to turn up at their premier venue.