During the Men’s T20 Emerging Teams Asia Cup 2024 in Oman, Basit Ali took aim at Pakistan A captain Muhammad Haris for his divisive comment regarding players not being permitted to discuss India in the locker room. Bangladesh A will play Hong Kong at Al Amerat on Friday, October 18, to kick off the competition.
Ahead of the much awaited India A vs. Pakistan A match in the Emerging Teams Asia Cup, Haris made it clear in a social media video that discussing their neighbours was not allowed in the locker room. He cited his international experience with the senior national team as the main argument, saying that it puts undue pressure on them. Therefore, it was beneficial for the squad to consider other tournament teams as well.
“Ek baat batau aapko. “I will tell you one thing: for the first time, we are not allowed to talk about India in the dressing room,” Haris stated in a social media video that went viral. “Pehli dafa hoga ke is dressing room mei Bharat par baat karne pe pabandi hai.”
“India is not the only thing on our minds. We also need to consider other teams. I played in the most recent World Cup and was a member of the [senior] Pakistani team. It puts so much pressure on you that you can’t stop thinking about India. We also have to play against other teams,” he continued.
Even though Haris’ remarks made news, certain members of the cricket community strongly disapproved of them. Basit Ali, a former cricket player for Pakistan, was among the numerous people who criticised the 23-year-old for his remarks. According to the 53-year-old, Haris had no notion what to say or not say.
“Usko akal nahi hai, kya bolna hai kya nahi bolna” He lacks common sense and knows exactly what to say and what not to say. “It is incorrect for anyone to believe that the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has issued those directives,” Basit stated on his YouTube channel.
Check out the video of Mohammad Haris’ viral remarks here:
Intresting strategy by Pakistan-A captain Harris to handle pressure in Emerging Asia cup.
“Dressing room me Bharat pe baat karne pe pabandi hai” pic.twitter.com/R6FMOCrjyA
— Varun Giri (@Varungiri0) October 15, 2024
The India-Pakistan A teams will play each other on October 19.
India and Pakistan’s ‘A’ teams will play each other on Saturday, October 19, at the Al Amerat Cricket Ground (Ministry Turf 1) in Al Amerat, Oman. India A, Pakistan A, the United Arab Emirates, and Oman are all in Group B of the Men’s T20 Emerging Teams Asia Cup 2024.
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Group A, meanwhile, is made up of Bangladesh A, Afghanistan A, Sri Lanka A, and Hong Kong. Following the Bangladesh A vs. Hong Kong match, the tournament’s opening day features a match between Sri Lanka A and Afghanistan A.
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