New Delhi [India], September 23 : Former cricketer Atul Wassan was in sync with the views of skipper Suryakumar Yadav that the rivalry between India and Pakistan no longer exists, considering the vast chasm between the two sides, which became evident during the drubbing that the Men in Blue handed to their arch-rival during the Super Fours fixture at the ongoing Asia Cup in Dubai.
After being put in to bat on Sunday, Pakistan rode high on a couple of individual performances to post 171/5, the highest they have managed against India while batting first in T20Is. In reply, Abhishek Sharma (74) and vice-captain Shubman Gill (47) broke the backbone of Pakistan's defence and cleared India's way to a commanding six-wicket victory.
Once the dust settled, Suryakumar declared that the contest between India and Pakistan isn't a rivalry anymore and told reporters, "I think you should stop asking questions on the rivalry because rivalry is when both sides play 15-20 matches, and one side is ahead by 8-7. It is called playing good cricket and a rivalry. 3-0, 10-1, I don't know what the stat is, but this is not a rivalry anymore."
Wassan agreed with the Indian skipper's assessment and believes that even Pakistan players are now aware of it. According to the 57-year-old, Pakistan players should focus on their cricket instead of engaging in heated altercations with the opposition. His remarks were a direct reference to Gill and Abhishek's war of words with Shaheen Afridi and Haris Rauf.
"I mean, we have said this before, and all that and who is in their right mind who would consider it as a rivalry? I mean, writing is on the wall, and the players also know that. So, I think don't try to bring more focus on yourself by picking a fight or staring down or saying something or needling the players because on the field the results are there that you will be embarrassed. So, I think I don't know why this hype about the everyday coverage of this match is there, because I think everybody knows that there is a huge chasm between the two teams," Wassan told ANI.
The controversial gestures from Sahibzada Farhan and Rauf soon overshadowed India's emphatic six-wicket success. Sahibzada Farhan pulled out a shooting gun celebration after scoring his fifty, a gesture that was labelled insensitive, considering it came in the backdrop of the terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam, during which 26 tourists were killed on April 22.
Meanwhile, his compatriot Rauf gestured "0-6" towards the Indian spectators in response to those who teased him with chants of 'Virat Kohli'. Farhan and Rauf's reaction didn't sit well with Pathan, who didn't mince his words while lambasting them for their action.
In response to Pakistan's action, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut lashed out at the ICC chairman Jay Shah, accusing him of allowing the match and mocking him with a sharp statement.
"Sahibzada Farhan just proved on the field how Pakistani terrorists slaughtered 26 innocents in Pahalgam--gunning them down like it was nothing. Reached his fifty and gripped the bat like an AK-47, firing boundaries! This spit in the face of BCCI & Modi govt is peak humiliation. For enabling India's shame, Jay Shah deserves the Bharat Ratna," Raut said on X.
Later, in another tweet, he continued to mock ICC Chief Jay Shah, "Who is responsible for this? Jai Bhai! Jai Bhai! Jai Bhai should be awarded the Bharat Ratna. For stopping the India-Pakistan war, President Trump should get the Nobel Prize, and for the insult to India's martyrs, patriots should strongly demand Bharat Ratna for Jai Bhai!"
While reacting to Raut's remarks, Wassan believes paying attention to Pakistan's gestures is futile and said, "Why are you taking it seriously? You are stupid if you take their actions seriously. So, I think, don't pay attention to them and don't see them in this connotation."