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Asia Cup 2022: Raees Ahmadzai reflects on the misconduct by Fareed Ahmed and the Afghanistan fans against Pakistan

image-l7w1h2txFareed Ahmed Malik and Asif Ali (PC: Twitter)

Things went haywire both on and off the cricket pitch during Pakistan vs Afghanistan Asia Cup 2022 Super Four fixture. It was a do-or-die match for the Afghans and thus both the players and fans lost control over their emotions. Mohammad Nabi’s side had a tough day on the field as they lost to the Green Army by just one wicket.

One of the highlights of the game was the heated altercation between Fareed Ahmed Malik and Asif Ali. The penultimate over of the game was a verbal exchange between the two players after Fareed dismissed the Pakistan batter.

However, the matter became serious when Asif lifted his bat to attack the bowler. It was following the intervention of other Afghan players and the umpires that the situation cooled down.

Meanwhile, Afghanistan fans also gained the limelight for their reckless behavior in the stands. Following the defeat against Pakistan, Afghan fans damaged the stadium property to vent their frustration. Some fans also uprooted the chairs and threw them at Pakistan fans. The video of the same went viral on social media and it caused a furor.

Raees advise fans to not flow with the emotions

Afghanistan's assistant coach Raees Ahmadzai condemned the behavior of Afghan players and the crowd. The assistant coach believes that the incident between Fareed and Asif happened in a heat of the moment and the players need to be more careful of the same. He also advised the fans to not flow with the emotions as losing and winning are a part of the game.

In the press conference, Ahmadzai said as quoted by NDTV,

"I think the players are well aware of the rules and regulations of the game, but sometimes in the heat of the moment, sometimes you cannot control and it comes out. The crowd should understand that this is just a game and sports should be treated as sports, not to be involved in anything critically or something.”

“Physical violence it's something every player should avoid. Sledging or talking to someone is different, but the rules and regulations do not allow you to do physical violence. Another experience for our players. We will inform our players to be within the limit and not cross it.”

Following a loss against Pakistan, Afghanistan also recorded a defeat against India by 101 runs.

Also Read: Asia Cup 2022: Asif Ali and Fareed Ahmad fined 25% match fees for altercation