'It's not about asking for forgiveness,' Aakash Chopra responds to Shahid Afridi's claims

Indian cricketer-turned-commentator Aakash Chopra has responded to Shahid Afridi's claims about Indian cricketers asking for 'forgiveness'.

Reported earlier by Sportskeeda, Shahid Afridi had stirred the cauldron of controversy when he claimed that the Indian side used to ask for forgiveness from the Pakistani side after being thrashed regularly.

"I've always enjoyed India. We've thrashed them a lot. I believe we've beaten them so much that they used to ask for forgiveness after the match." Shahid Afridi had said whilst speaking on Cric Cast's YouTube show.

However Aakash Chopra came out with facts and figures and methodically countered Shahid Afridi's misleading claims.

"It's not about forgiveness, it's not about asking for forgiveness, it's all about playing good cricket. So Shahid, let's forget about that," said Aakash Chopra.

Aakash Chopra also iterated that the Pakistan team used to be a good side in the past but the balance was tilting towards India off late.

“Pakistan team used to be good at one point. It is still an okay team today. But there was a time when India used to play against Pakistan at Sharjah and the balance was tilted towards the neighbouring nation. But it was not the ‘Afridi time’ that he is talking about." said Aakash Chopra in his YouTube video.

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Aakash Chopra uses figures to counter Shahid Afridi's claims

The tall claims of Shahid Afridi did not stand the test of figures as Aakash Chopra revealed the win-loss figures in all the three formats since Shahid Afridi's debut.

India and Pakistan played 15 Test matches after Shahid Afridi's debut with both nations winning five games apiece.

In ODIs, out of the 82 matches played between the arch-rivals, Pakistan just pipped India with 41 wins when compared to India's 39 wins.

Chopra mentioned that the competition in T20Is was particularly lopsided as India had beaten Pakistan in 7 out of the 8 T20Is played, including the 2007 T20 World Cup final.

Overall, India has won 51 international matches as compared to Pakistan's 47 since Shahid Afridi made his debut, thereby nipping Afridi's tall claims in the bud.

"If you take the current scenario, India is miles ahead. In World Cups, India is far ahead. Barring a solitary Chamipons trophy win in which Paksitan was beaten in the league stage, India's dominance has been of a different kind." iterated Chopra.

Aakash Chopra advised Afridi that he and the Pakistani team should stop trying to compete with India and try to be comfortable in their own skin.

"Let's forget the obsession with India for a minute, the superiority complex which is not factually correct, let's leave that too..the truth however is that let's just be comfortable in our own skill and this has happened with India but not with Pakistan." added the Delhi-born batsmen.

Aakash Chopra also took a dig at Afridi, saying he had coined the term 'unretire' for retiring several times and going back on his decision regularly.