World Cup 2019 | ‘The team can even get banned’: Shoaib Akhtar knowingly makes controversial remarks about Afghanistan players while delivering backhand compliments

Shoaib Akhtar is giving YouTube sensation Pewdiepie a run for his money in terms of the daily growth for his channel and rightly so. The former Pakistan fast bowler’s comments, right from blasting Captain Sarfaraz Ahmed, Hasan Ali to banter with former nemesis Virender Sehwag, have all made headlines. The ‘Rawalpindi Express’ is not mincing words and his latest statements are even more controversial. Ahead of Pakistan’s match against Afghanistan, Akhtar claimed Afghanistan team could get banned since most of the players are actually from Pakistan places like Peshawar, Rawalpindi and Karachi, with bogus identity cards. The 43-year-old also said India had invested in Afghanistan, but they forgot to inject a sense of maturity in them. 

READ: Flying 'Justice For Balochistan' Banner Sparked Pakistan-Afghanistan Fans' Fight At World Cup Match: ICC Sources

A day before the match, Akhtar, on his YouTube channel, said, “Where does Afghanistan play? Dehradun. Where is their home ground? Dehradun. Earlier, it used to be Peshawar, Pindi (Rawalpindi), where we’d groom the boys, but today they have gone to Delhi and Noida. A good team has been made.  

“India has invested tremendously in Afghanistan, but the one thing India couldn’t inject into them is a sense of maturity. How will that come in their batting? India should’ve taught them that too, but they forgot.  

“I’m sorry I’m going to say this very controversial, but you will have to tolerate this. If you take out the ID cards of Afghanistan players, they will be from Peshawar. The team can even get banned.  

"So I’m requesting to see you, of Afghanistan and many other people, those who are launching their statement in the media. Please don’t do this. Otherwise, all your bogus cards from Peshawar and Karachi, will be revealed and your team can get banned.  

"We love Afghanistan, we love the people of Afghanistan, we want peace, we wanted to help you out. We have given 3 million Afghans a place to live in our home. We still owning you."  

Akhtar later went from political talk to cricket talk and boasted, “Tomorrow, there is going to be no love between us. We’re going to crush you and take away two points.” 

He added, "Their CEO had said Pakistan needs to learn cricket from us, we will teach them tomorrow how cricket is played and also to the CEO. Their CEOs come for a day and then go, this is their sixth CEO I think.  

"So first get your house in order and then talk about our country, who has helped you for 30-40 years, along with your children and women, and migrants.  So please bring in consideration what Pakistan has done for Afghanistan.” 

Watch the video here:

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On match day, the tension between the two countries was visible when Pakistan and Afghanistan supporters got involved in a scuffle when a plane with ‘Justice for Balochistan’ banner was flown over Leeds. 

On the field, Afghanistan scored 227/9 in their 50 overs against Pakistan.