T20 World Cup 2022: “You should avoid such things” – Shahid Afridi on Mohammed Shami’s dig at Shoaib Akhtar

Former cricketer Shahid Afridi finally broke his silence after Indian speedster Mohammed Shami took a jibe at Shoaib Akhtar after Pakistan lost the T20 World Cup final against England by five wickets in Melbourne on Sunday (November 13).

For those not in the know, Shami had tweeted ‘Karma’ as Akhtar shared a heartbreak emoji after Babar Azam and Co. fell short in the T20 World Cup final.

In a tweet, Shami had written:

“Sorry, brother, It’s call karma.”

Afridi feels such actions will only spread more hatred between the people of India and Pakistan. He said all players, whether active or retired, should refrain from making distasteful remarks and rather act like ambassadors.

Speaking to Samaa TV, the former Pakistan all-rounder said:

"We cricketers are like ambassadors. We should always try to end (the rift) that is between the two nations (India and Pakistan). I think things like these should not happen that spread hatred among people. If we do this, then the common man who is not literate and foolish, what should we expect from him? We should build relationships, and sport is such a thing that will keep our relationship better with them forever."

He added:

"We want to play against them and want to see them in Pakistan. You should not do such things even if you are a retired player. You are playing with the team currently. You should avoid such things.”

It is worth mentioning that the relationship between India and Pakistan has already been strained due to ongoing political tensions.

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T20 World Cup 2022: “Sensible tweet” - Shoaib Akhtar replies to Mohammed Shami on Twitter

Akhtar responded strongly to Shami's tweet and took the example of senior cricket commentator Harsha Bhogle. He tried to teach Shami how to tweet sensibly, which irked netizens on the micro-blogging website.

The former Pakistani speedster wrote on Twitter:

“And this what you call sensible tweet..”

Interestingly, Akhtar was quite active on social media after England beat India by ten wickets on Twitter. He shared multiple posts while taking a dig at Team India and former Indian player Irfan Pathan.

The development comes amid ongoing tensions between the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).

Last month, BCCI secretary Jay Shah announced that India won't travel to Pakistan for the 2023 Asia Cup, and the continental tournament will be held at a neutral venue. PCB chief Rameez Raja retorted firmly, saying they will not tour India for the 2023 World Cup.