Cricket legend and former Pakistan captain Wasim Akram has voiced his disapproval over Pakistan skipper Babar Azam's public shirt swap with Indian cricketing icon Virat Kohli.
In a match that witnessed India's comprehensive seven-wicket victory, Pakistan struggled to make an impact, being bowled out for a mere 192 runs after winning the toss and electing to bat first. India's Rohit Sharma, with a sublime 86 runs, led his team to an easy victory, chasing down Pakistan's target with ease.
Despite the disappointing outcome for Pakistan, Babar Azam managed to put up a resilient performance, scoring 50 runs and building an 82-run partnership with Mohammad Rizwan. However, the Men in Green crumbled under pressure, losing eight wickets for a mere 36 runs.
After the match, a heartwarming gesture by Virat Kohli, where he gifted his signed jersey to Babar Azam, garnered widespread admiration on social media.
The two modern-day cricketing greats have often expressed their mutual respect and admiration for each other.
However, Wasim Akram expressed his disapproval of the public nature of this exchange. During a panel discussion on "The Pavilion" following the match, a fan's question criticising Babar Azam for the open jersey exchange with Kohli was brought to Akram's attention.
"I can see Babar is receiving two shirts from Virat Kohli," the question read. "Everybody is showing this clip over and over again. But after your fans are so hurt after a disappointing performance, this should be a private matter; it should not be done on an open ground."
Wasim Akram agreed with the sentiment and stated, "That's exactly what I said when I saw the picture of them getting the shirts publicly, not privately. Today was not the day to do this. If you want to do it – if your uncle's son has asked you to get Kohli's shirt – then do it after the game in the dressing room."
This criticism comes in the wake of Pakistan's disappointing performance against their arch-rivals India in the World Cup, and the discussion surrounding Babar Azam's actions will likely continue in the days to come. The public opinion on such gestures after a defeat in a high-stakes match remains divided.
