Indian cricket fan threatened by an alleged Pakistani caller

India won the semifinals on Thursday to make it an Indo-Pak final on Sunday. Fans have been dreaming of this ever since Pakistan surprisingly qualified for the semifinal after beating South Africa and Sri Lanka. They then outplayed a strong England side to reach the finals and now there is a huge anticipation of the mega clash on Sunday.

Amidst the excitement, an Indian cricket fan based in Agra made an announcement. Azaad Diwakar, who earns his livelihood by ironing clothes, had announced that he would iron clothes for free if India wins the final on Sunday. In the past, Azaad had given free laundry service to the locals for 15 days when India won the World Cup in 2011.

His announcement went viral in Agra as people shared it on various WhatsApp groups. He later received a call from an unidentified person who warned Azaad of dire consequences if he doesn’t withdraw his announcement.

“I had announced to iron clothes for free for five days if India wins Champions Trophy and even put a poster. Seeing my enthusiasm for the Indian team, local residents snapped pictures of my poster and me and circulated it on WhatsApp groups. Later, in the evening, a caller threatened me with dire consequences and asked me to withdraw the announcement.”

“He first asked my name, then religion and later during conversation told me not to be over-enthusiast for the Indian team else I will face problems,” he added.

India and Pakistan have already met once in the tournament when both teams lined up against each other on June 4. On that occasion, it was a one-sided affair as India defeated them by 124 runs with a lot of overs to spare. Post this game, Pakistan has been in great form and is expected to give a sterner competition. Azaad did ironing for no money for a day post-India’s victory against Pakistan.

After receiving the call, Azaad gave a written complaint to the police about the incident at the Jagdispura police station. The station officer of the police station confirmed the report filed by Azaad. “We have received the complaint and have asked surveillance cell to trace the caller, as the call was made from voice over internet protocol.”

Such is the rivalry between these two sides. It goes back a long way and India has had a history of ridiculing Pakistan in major ICC events. They have a tremendous 12-2 record against their neighbours in the 14 games played in the ICC events across formats since the World Cup of 1992.