Did Simon Doull Compare Pakistan to a Jail?

image-lgf17lkxBabar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan during their partnership (@babarazam/Twitter)

The Indian subcontinent is known for its passionate cricket fans and it is this passion that makes the cricketing action in these countries so enthralling. However, there is a thin line between supporting your team passionately and being absolutely intolerant about anything that goes against one's whims and fancies. 

Many times in the past, we have seen fans in subcontinent, whether from India or Pakistan or even Bangladesh coming out with violent or abusive behaviour when things don't go according to their expectations. 

Recently, Simon Doull, a renowned voice in the cricketing worlds was on the receiving end of this rage from Pakistan fans and it once again shows how people can get intolerant and cross their lines while supporting their team or players.

Simon Doull recently criticized Babar Azam for his strike rate in T20 cricket and targeted current Pakistan skipper for slowing down when approaching a milestone. Doull had criticised Babar Azam after his century against Quetta Gladiators where the right-hander scored 115 off 65 balls but took 14 deliveries to get to his 100 from the score of 83.

He also had a heated argument with Aamir Sohail recently during commentary in Afghanistan-Pakistan game where Doull emphasised on Babar's lack of intent in T20 cricket. Doull expressed frustration about the treatment he got in Pakistan and overall sufferings he had after criticizing Babar Azam.

Doull said that living in Pakistan was like living in jail. He added that he could not go out as Babar Azam fans were waiting for him and he stayed in Pakistan even without food for many days. He mentioned that he was also mentally tortured but somehow managed to escape from Pakistan.

This is what Simon Doull reportedly said to Geo News:

"Living in Pakistan is like living in jail. I was not allowed to go out as Babar Azam fans were waiting for me. And I stayed in Pakistan without food for many days. Even I was mentally tortured but by the grace of God I somehow escaped from Pakistan."

In his on-air commentary, Doull had previously said that Babar was not putting his team first and did not look for boundaries even though there was lot of firepower to come after him. He also went onto say that stats and hundreds are good but team should always come first.

"Rather than putting the team first... the last little while, that's all that been happening. Rather than looking for boundaries, still, so much firepower to come. Hundreds are brilliant, stats are great, but it has to be team first.”

Doull also criticised Virat Kohli recently for his knock in RCB-LSG game during on-air commentary. He talked about how Virat took 10 balls to get to his 50 from 42 balls and felt that Virat Kohli was more concerned about his personal milestone.

“From 42 to 50, he took 10 balls. He is concerned about his personal milestones. I don’t think there’s room for that in this game anymore."

It is not as if Doull is the first one to talk about the batting approach of some greats of cricket in recent times. There have been many people who have expressed their views on how anchoring the innings in T20 cricket should be looked in different light and it is strike rate that matters the most in T20 cricket during this modern day and age.