New Delhi [India], November 15 : Former cricketer-turned commentator Aakash Chopra took a sharp jibe at Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and the Pakistani team for his congratulatory message for the Men in Green for their ODI series win over Sri Lanka.
On Friday, Pakistan raced to an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match ODI series with a commanding 8-wicket victory at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium. Sharif, on Saturday, took to X and congratulated Pakistan for their "wonderful display" and success.
The Pakistan PM showered praise on the PCB chairman and the country's Interior Minister, Mohsin Naqvi and his team, for their "great efforts". Sharif extended special thanks to Sri Lanka for contesting in the series in the wake of the explosion at the district and sessions court in Islamabad's G-11 area hours before the series opener earlier this week.
Subsequently, the series was rescheduled to November 14 and 16. According to Sharif, Sri Lanka's participation in the series showcases the "enduring friendship" between the two nations.
"I congratulate our national team on winning the ODI series against Sri Lanka, and I commend Chairman PCB Mohsin Naqvi and his entire team for their great efforts. It was a wonderful display of cricket's unifying spirit. My special thanks to the Sri Lankan players and management. Their participation once again reflects the enduring friendship between our two nations," Sharif wrote on X.
Chopra was quick to respond to Sharif's remark and took a subtle dig at him with a post on X, which read, "When winning a bilateral series is your only flex."
https://x.com/cricketaakash/status/1989557285387940055?s=20
The 48-year-old's remark served as a poignant reminder of Pakistan's dismal odyssey in the ICC tournaments. Since lifting the Champions Trophy in 2017, Pakistan has returned home empty-handed in every single event that they have contested in.
Pakistan were knocked out of the 2021 T20 World Cup semi-finals and were unceremoniously ousted the following year by England in the final. In the 2023 ODI World Cup, 2024 T20 World Cup and 2025 ICC Champions Trophy, Pakistan's campaign concluded in the group stage.