Team India will win the Champions Trophy according to Sarfraz Ahmed’s uncle

When India face their arch-rivals Pakistan in the ICC Champions Trophy final at the Oval on Sunday, they will have a special fan Mehboob Hasan from Etawah, Uttar Pradesh rooting for Team India. Mehboob Hasan is none other than the Uncle of Pakistan skipper Sarfraz Ahmed.

Hasan is a senior clerk with Etawah Agriculture Engineering College and lives in Etawah with his family. Sarfraz’s mother Aqeela Bano (Hasan’s sister) moved to Karachi after marrying Shakeel Ahmed, where the family runs a stationery shop.

“Where is the pressure? He (Sarfraz) is playing for his team. My children and I always root for Team India,” Hasan said to Hindustan Times when asked how he would deal with the pressure of an India-Pakistan match. “His team cannot match our team. We have better players and our team is superior. I can bet that India will win the trophy,” Hasan added in support of Men in blue.

Hasan and Sarfraz share a close bond

Despite tricky visa regulations and very rare (to be precise 3) face to face meetings, Hasan and his nephew Sarfraz share a very close bond. Hasan even once went to the dargah of Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti in Ajmer to pray for Sarfraz Ahmed getting a chance in Pakistan’s playing XI. His prayers were answered soon and Sarfraz started playing for his national side.

Hasan and his family also watched him play at the Gaddafi stadium in Lahore. “He flew us from Karachi to Lahore for this match,” Hasan recalled with pride. They both last met in Chandigarh when Pakistan played Australia in a World T20 match in 2016. “I am happy he is doing so well in life and cricket,” Hasan said.

Both nations would stand still on Sunday as they face each other in an ICC event final after 10 long years. Last time India and Pakistan played a final in 2007 in inaugural World T20 which India won by just 5 runs. Whatever might be the result of the match, another mouth-watering clash awaits for everyone.