Former Pakistan cricket team captain and star batsman Shahid Afridi has voiced his support for the government’s decision to boycott the scheduled match against India.
In a statement, Afridi said that while politics tends to close doors, cricket has the power to open them.
He expressed regret over Pakistan’s decision not to play against India but reaffirmed his support for the government’s stance.
Afridi also called on the International Cricket Council (ICC) to demonstrate leadership through concrete decisions rather than statements, emphasising the need to uphold impartiality.
The statement comes a day after Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Mohsin Naqvi met Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. During the meeting, it was decided that Pakistan would participate in the T20 World Cup but would not play the match against India scheduled for February 15.
On the other hand, following Pakistan’s decision to boycott its match against India, ICC Chairman Jay Shah became the target of widespread criticism and ridicule on social media.
Jay Shah and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) are now facing global backlash, particularly on Twitter (X), where users questioned Shah’s role, the BCCI’s influence, and the overall balance of power in world cricket.
Many users also accused the ICC of acting as a protector of Indian interests rather than as a neutral governing body. Several sarcastically claimed that the ICC has effectively become the “Indian Cricket Council” instead of the International Cricket Council. Memes featuring Jay Shah’s photos and statements circulated widely, with users labelling him the “undeclared king” of world cricket.
Numerous posts also questioned whether the same standards would be applied to India if Pakistan were punished. In one widely shared tweet, the ICC, Jay Shah, and the BCCI were described as facing “global humiliation.”
The tweet pointed out that Bangladesh had reportedly refused to tour India due to security concerns, Pakistan had boycotted its match against India, Pakistan’s T20 World Cup matches were shifted to Sri Lanka, and both England and Australia had expressed reservations about playing in India due to concerns over the spread of the Nipah virus. According to the user, these developments were making India appear as a risk to international cricket.
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