In the 22nd match of the ongoing ODI World Cup 2023, Afghanistan beat Pakistan by 8 wickets. While chasing 283 runs, Afghanistan batters Rahmat Shah, Ibrahim Zadran, and Rahmatullah Gurbaz scored half-centuries and helped Afghanistan register their second win in the ongoing tournament. This is also Afghanistan’s first-ever win against Pakistan in ODI cricket.
However, after this victory, former India batter Sachin Tendulkar praised former India cricketer Ajay Jadeja. Jadeja, who is currently working as a mentor with the Afghanistan Cricket Team, received a lot of praise for the improvement in the Afghani batting line-up. Sachin gave Victory credit to Jadeja and said that this might be his impact on Afghani batting.
Taking to Twitter (now X), Tendulkar said, “Afghanistan’s performance at this World Cup has been nothing short of outstanding. Their discipline with the bat, the temperament they’ve shown, and their aggressive running between the wickets reflect their hard work. It could possibly be due to a certain Mr. Ajay Jadeja’s influence.”
Tendulkar also praised the Afghanistan team and said it’s the emergence of New Afghanistan. “With a formidable bowling lineup, their victories over teams like England and Pakistan indicate the emergence of a new Afghanistan team. The cricket world is taking note. Well done”, says Tendulkar in his tweet.
Shoaib Malik praises Ajay Jadeja but questions Pakistan’s approach
Across the border in Pakistan, star batter Shoaib Malik praised Jadeja’s sharp mind for contributing to Afghanistan’s aggressive style of cricket. The 42-year-old batter also questioned Pakistan’s approach in the ongoing tournament. “I have seen Ajay Jadeja sitting in their dugout. I worked with him during the 2015 World Cup for one of the channels in India. Great cricketing mind. Absolutely! Having the right people around you or around the team does matter,” said Malik while speaking on the news channel ‘A Sports’.
Malik further slammed Pakistan skipper Babar Azam and said that the only person responsible for this loss was Babar Azam. He said that Babar is a great batter but not a great leader. “The guy who is most responsible is the captain. As a batsman, he is king, but as a leader, he is not”, said Malik.
