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[Watch] When Canada's Balaji Rao Got Fumed Up After Pakistanis Abused Him For 'No Reason'

Canada-Pakistan fight during WC 2011 (x.com)Canada-Pakistan fight during WC 2011 (x.com)

Although Pakistan and Canada have only played three games so far - 1 T20I game and 2 ODI games, there's a good reason why it can be turned into a great rivalry given the history of these two teams.

The last ODI between these two teams, which took place during the Cricket World Cup 2011, became infamous due to a dramatic on-field altercation. 

On March 3, 2011, at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo, what was expected to be a routine match turned into a memorable clash for all the wrong reasons. Fans from across the globe were stunned by the confrontation between Canada’s Balaji Rao and Pakistan’s Umar Gul and Ahmed Shehzad.

During the game, Umar Gul and Ahmed Shehzad provoked Balaji Rao, who was batting at the time. The tension escalated when Shehzad made a provocative remark, prompting Rao to respond with slurs in frustration.

The confrontation began when Balaji aggressively swung at several deliveries from Gul, missing most of them. 

As tensions rose in the heat, Gul and Balaji exchanged heated words. The situation intensified when Shehzad, fielding at point, joined the fray with provocative remarks. Balaji, a Chennai-born Tamil speaker, was further provoked by Shehzad's racist comments.

In response, Balaji unleashed a string of Punjabi expletives directed at Shehzad, igniting a verbal exchange between the two. As tempers flared, Rao continued to hurl sharp words at Shehzad, who, known for his confrontational style, retaliated without hesitation.

The confrontation escalated rapidly, prompting the umpires to intervene and pause the game in an attempt to restore order. While the on-field umpire warned Shehzad, senior player Younus Khan came to his defense against the umpire's admonition.