KARACHI: Indian Cricket Team, a pampered child of ICC has become a dictator by not only refusing to play in Asia Cup being held in Pakistan but also winning Sunday’s lost match of the T20 World Cup against Pakistan on MCG Australia riding the shoulders of International Cricket Conference by fixing the match.  

More than 90 thousand crowds in the stadium and millions of spectators on electronic media were astonished to see that the so-called Indian cricket superpower responding to Pakistan’s total of 159 made just 45 runs in the first ten overs by losing four wickets while in the next five overs it added 55 runs and in last five overs the miracle of another 60 runs happened by courtesy of the worst ever umpiring for its success.      

The umpires had gone upstairs but Karthik walked off. Full toss from Nawaz and Kohli pulls it beyond the boundary. The umpire signals no ball as well. Double whammy here and India now needs six to win off three balls. Nawaz went down the leg side, DK tried to sweep, the ball hits his pads and Rizwan is quick to collect the ball and hit the stumps.

India needed 5 to win off 3, a bit of confusion, Nawaz had bowled Kohli over but it was a free hit, the batters run three but the Pakistan fielders asked if the runs stand because the ball had hit the stumps and it was dead. Umpires ruled against them and India needed 2 to win off 2 balls.  According to Australian player Brad Hogg; “why was not ball reviewed, then how can it not be a dead ball when Kohli was bowled on a free hit.”    

ICC’s blue-eyed India's recent games against Pakistan hadn't been the best. In large part, India didn't make it to the Asia Cup final in 2022 because they lost to Babar Azam's team. Misbah prior to this match said that how India did in the Asia Cup and the T20 World Cup last year will weigh heavily on their shoulders. He further stated recent performances by India against Pakistan haven't been great.

India's failure to advance to the Asia Cup 2022 championship game was significantly influenced by their loss to Babar Azam's team. The performance at the T20 World Cup last year and the Asia Cup result, in Misbah's opinion, will weigh heavily on India.

Published in The Daily National Courier, October, 25 2022

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