ICC World Cup 2019: Misbah-ul-Haq urges Pakistan fans to support the national team in crisis

Pakistan hasn’t had the greatest of campaigns in the 2019 edition of the World Cup in England and Wales. Sarfaraz Ahmed and Co came into the tournament with only a couple of victories this year in the ODI format. Going into the main round of the mega event, Afghanistan defeated them by three wickets. To make things worse, the Windies slapped them with a seven-wicket defeat in Nottingham.

Though they made amends beating England at the same venue, India and Australia brushed the Men in Green aside without much fuss. The 89-run defeat against Virat Kohli’s men didn’t go down well with a number of fans and supporters. Subsequently, they lashed out at the national team. A few of them bashed them for not putting enough emphasis on keeping up with the fitness standards.

A video of Shoaib Malik was also leaked where the veteran was seeing having shisha. It added fuel to fire to the entire scenario and eventually Malik and his wife Sania Mirza had to shut the critics. The scenario didn’t improve as a couple of days ago, Sarfaraz Ahmed, the Pakistan skipper had to face body shaming.

When the skipper was out for shopping with his child, a fan called him ‘fat as a pig’ to which Sarfaraz didn’t react and walked away with dignity. In the meantime, Misbah-ul-Haq, the former Pakistan cricketer, has criticised the supporters and asked them to support the team in the rather arduous times.

The team needs its supporters and fans: Misbah

“It is always disappointing. It happened with me, it happened with a lot of other cricketers back home in Pakistan. And now, it’s been happening with his team. They are only letting the team and the players down. It’s a time when the team needs psychological and moral support,” the 45-year-old Misbah was quoted as saying in ESPNcricinfo.

“You are with them once they are winning, and in their difficult times, you are nowhere to be seen. You are criticising them, letting them down and it becomes tough for them to get out of that. The team needs its supporters and fans while in trouble,” a rather agitated Misbah added.