'Send Indian Team To Pakistan, We'll Give Them Best Treatment' - Shahid Afridi
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Shahid Afridi comments on Team India [AP Photo]
Even as religious animosity for Pakistan players inside the packed Ahmedabad stadium left a bitter taste about the high-voltage Indo-Pak ICC World Cup 2023 encounter held last Saturday (October 14), Shahid Afridi played the flagbearer for cross-border love and healthy relationship.
In a clip going viral on Twitter, Afridi is heard requesting the people of India and Pakistan to leave the tension and hatred behind them and focus on reviving solid bilateral relationships in all walks of life.
An Afridi fan going by the name of 'Maham Gillani' shared the clip amidst the controversial backdrop of Pakistani cricketer Mohammad Rizwan being treated with religious slogans from a section of the crowd present inside the new Motera stadium.
Notably, the clip is from the time BCCI secretary Jay Shah had confirmed India's denial to travel to Pakistan for the Asia Cup 2023, which hosted all of the Men in Blue's matches in Sri Lanka.
Afridi Plays Flagbearer For Cross-Border Love And Warmth
Originally due to be a comeback ground for Team India on Pakistan shores after 15 years, the Asia Cup was held on a hybrid model agreed between the BCCI and Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).
In the clip, Afridi is seen reminding the journalists questioning him at the sidelines of the 'Legends League' tournament that it's not Pakistan but India who had refused to arrive for the Asia Cup.
The former Pakistan skipper had urged the BCCI and Indian government authorities to not worry about the players' welfare, insisting Pakistan would give them the "best-ever treatment" possible.
"Who is denying? India but not Pakistan. Aap India ki team ko bhejiye to sahi, hum unhein Sar ankhon par rakhenge (You send the Indian team to Pakistan and we will offer them the best-ever treatment," said Afridi, reinforcing his longstanding stance for cricket to overcome the geopolitical tension and rift.
Afridi also recalled the time he had held the Indian flag and stood to take pictures with a group of Indian fans present in Switzerland for a retired cricketers' series and said it was a gesture that came out of respect and love for the fans across the border.
His clip is being used by Pakistani fans to take a moral high ground amidst debates and controversy surrounding how Rizwan had been treated by a section of the crowd in Ahmedabad.
As the Pakistani wicketkeeper-batter was walking back to the dressing room via the tunnel adjoining the pavillion and the ground, he was jeered by Hindu slogans. A clip of the incident had gone viral after India's seven-wicket win.
 "Kashish Chadha")
