Imran Khan hasn’t forgotten Sarfaraz Ahmed’s decision to bat first against India in the 2019 World Cup

The match between India and Pakistan at the Old Trafford was expected to be one of the marquee clashes of the 2019 World Cup. However, Manchester ended up witnessing a rather one-sided affair as the Men in Blue won the game comfortably by 89 runs (DLS Method). Very few things went right for Sarfaraz Ahmed and Co ever since they won the toss and elected to field first.

Prior to the game, Imran Khan, the former Pakistan cricketer and the current Honourable Prime Minister of the nation, had a different advice for Sarfaraz. Imran said that unless the pitch was damp, Pakistan should bat first after winning the toss. But Sarfaraz didn’t abide by his words and his move backfired severely. Moreover, Pakistan remained winless over India in World Cups.

Dilemma for life, says Imran

It has been more than a couple of months since that incident, but the memories of that game haven’t faded away from Imran’s mind. The veteran yet again took a dig at Sarfaraz for not obeying him. “You win the toss and bat – don’t bat second. This is a mindset. You will have this dilemma throughout life,” Khan was quoted as saying during an event as per Geo TV.

In that encounter, Rohit Sharma scored 140 to help India rack up a massive 336 runs on a belter of a strip. The likes of KL Rahul and Virat Kohli, the Indian captain, scored half-centuries to propel India’s score. From Pakistan, Mohammad Amir was the best of the lot, having picked up three wickets, conceding only 47 runs. Imad Wasim didn’t get a wicket but ended with an economy of under five.

In their run-chase, Pakistan lost wickets at regular intervals. Fakhar Zaman and Babar Azam showed some fight, but after their dismissal, the innings completely fell apart. The match was halted by rain after which a revised target was set, which literally sealed the fate of the match.

After the match, the Pakistan players were a recipient of severe criticism from the netizens, who questioned their fitness standards. Shoaib Malik was brutally bashed for smoking sheesha before the match. Even Sarfaraz had to face abuses when he went to a mall along with his son.

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