Former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan couldn’t control his excitement after Afghanistan posted a stunning eight-wicket win over Babar Azam’s Pakistan in match no. 22 of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on Monday. It was Afghanistan’s first-ever win over their neighbours in ODI cricket in eight attempts and came at the grandest stage of all.
Irfan Pathan, who was giving the post-match analysis for official broadcasters Star Sports, broke into a jig with Afghanistan and Gujarat Titans all-rounder Rashid Khan. The video of Irfan Pathan dancing with Rashid Khan soon went viral on social media.
Rashid Khan and the rest of his Afghanistan teammates were taking a lap of honour around Chepauk when the former India all-rounder and Irfan Pathan started dancing on Monday night to celebrate the historic win.
Irfan Pathan dancing with Rashid Khan.
– Video of the day from Chepauk…!!!pic.twitter.com/ijoMGqKht1
— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) October 23, 2023
Pakistan skipper Babar Azam said the loss was very hard to take as a team. He blamed the Pakistan bowlers and fielders for the defeat after the batters had put up a 280-plus total to defend.
“This loss was very hard as a team. And the batting and our plan was to total 280-290. And when we achieved that, I think we were not up to the mark in bowling and fielding. You have to bowl well and field well. In the middle overs, the spinners didn’t bowl as they should have. They didn’t put pressure on them. When you bowl well, and you bowl for 3-4 overs, the pressure comes on the other team. I congratulate their team for the way they played. They played outstandingly,” Babar Azam said in the post-match press conference.
Meanwhile, Afghanistan skipper Hashmatullah Shahidi said that the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 will be a ‘historic’ tournament for his side.
“This win tastes nice. The way we chased was very professional. Looking forward for the other games. The way we chased today, we’ll do it again. The quality cricket that we have been playing from the last couple of years, the belief was there when we were playing the Asia Cup also. At the start of the tournament, I said that we want to make this tournament historic for our country people. First was England, today Pakistan, looking forward for the other games,” Shahidi said in the post-match presentation on Monday.
