New Delhi [India], September 16 : India's 1983 World Cup-winning captain Madan Lal lampooned former Pakistan cricketer Mohammad Yousuf, who sparked a new controversy by using a derogatory term to abuse India T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav.
The ties between the two neighbouring nations have deteriorated after the terror attack in Pahalgam on April 22, during which Pakistan-sponsored terrorists killed 26 tourists. Despite the backlash and calls for a boycott of the India-Pakistan fixture at the Asia Cup in Dubai on Sunday, the game went ahead and has been surrounded by controversy.
After India outfoxed Pakistan and celebrated a 7-wicket win, Suryakumar and his troops refused to follow the old tradition of shaking hands with the opposition. In reply, Pakistan pulled out of the post-match presentation.
Yousuf weighed in on the entire incident during a panel discussion on Samaa TV and launched an offensive remark on Suryakumar. While repeatedly calling the Indian T20I skipper "Suarkumar", he accused India of "using" umpires according to their will.
Madan Lal didn't mince his words while launching a scathing attack on Yousuf. He feels the recent remarks and shenanigans of the former Pakistan batter are nothing but an attempt to attract publicity. He declared that the insensitive comments reflect the level of education that Yousuf possesses.
"Look, you must have seen the former Pakistani cricketers, how much they criticise their team. You can see the frustration. They have started abusing the other team's players. This shows how educated they are. Abusing anyone is not a good thing. I think we are unnecessarily giving them publicity. This is what they want: publicity. All the YouTubers talk about India and make their hits. This is their moral principle. The more bitter we speak about India, the more they will benefit," Madan told ANI.
The 74-year-old declared that Yousuf's remarks about the umpires are vague, considering modern-day DRS technology can fizz out the issues. The review cleared the remaining ambiguity, and it resonated in a couple of on-field decisions that were reversed during the rivalry clash.
"It is very easy for the umpires. The DRS system is running. Even if someone is out, he can refer to the third umpire. He has been doing it. One or two of his decisions have gone wrong. They have been referred and he has been given a not out. Then why should anyone complain? Nowadays, no one should complain because it is technology. They use technology, and everything comes out. But you should also understand which DRS you should take and which you should not take," he said.
The handshake row escalated after the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) lodged a complaint against match referee Andy Pycroft, accusing him of violating the ICC Code of Conduct and the MCC laws relating to the spirit of cricket. Pakistan has also threatened to pull out of the tournament if a decision doesn't arrive in their favour.
Madan Lal doesn't see the paradigm shifting in the world of cricket if Pakistan withdraws from the tournament. According to him, the game will move on, and Pakistan will be the only casualty, who will rue the slump in their cricket.
"If they do not play, there will be no improvement in cricket. Then it will go down further. If you win, your confidence level increases. In your country, the standard of cricket increases. If you do not play, it will not make a difference to anyone. If you do not play, it is okay. Someone else will play in the semifinals. The world will not stop," he said.
"Whether you play or not, this world will continue. It does not matter what threats you are giving. It is better that you concentrate on your game. Try to play well. So that millions of people in Pakistan can find happiness. Yes, our team played well. Now they are getting abused," he concluded.