World Cup 2023 is taking place in India and yesterday Pakistan played with India in Ahmedabad. The city was going to be harsh towards Pakistanis due to their track record of Islamophobia, being a stronghold of BJP and that is what unfortunately happened. India and Pakistan both played the game and India won more easily than anyone had predicted. Pakistani players were however, subjected to extreme bullying by the Indian crowd. Pakistan’s decision to go play in India despite all the hostility was already being questioned in Pakistan. Pakistani media and spectators were not given visas. Zainab Abbas had to leave the country due to extreme hatred she was getting and now we saw bullying and Islamophobia displayed by the Indian crowd during the game.
“Naam Mitao Babar Ka” was chanted openly when he walked in:
Shame on you š
" Naam mitao Babar Ka"
Some people chant in Narendra Modi Stadium #Ahmedabad #INDvsPAK | #INDvPAK |#PAKvIND | #PAKvsIND | #CWC23 | #BabarAzamšµ | #BabarAzam | #IndiaVsPakistan | #WorldCup2023 #Rizwan pic.twitter.com/7GXa1Amfud— Cricket In Blood (@CricketInBlood_) October 14, 2023
Mohammad Rizwan was taunted by Jai Shri Ram when he went back after getting out. Jai Shri Ram was not used as a religious chant simply. It is a chant Hindutva crowd uses in India during their Islamophobic lynching attacks.
PĆ kistan batsman Muhammad Rizwan was returning to the pavilion after getting out.
He had to face 'Jai Shri Ram' chants from the crowd of Narendra MĆ³di stadium during #IndiaVsPakistan WC today.
Thoughts? pic.twitter.com/IvbpFnE8fh
— Amock (@Politics_2022_) October 14, 2023
Abusive language was openly used for Pakistan:
— Out Of Context Cricket (@GemsOfCricket) October 14, 2023
Meanwhile Babar Azam was getting a signed shirt from Virat Kohli after the match:
Even Wasim Akram who likes to be politically correct all the time could not understand this shirt exchange:
Wasim Akram says "Babar Azam shouldn't have asked Virat Kohli his Tshirt"pic.twitter.com/KREc7H41Pm#INDvsPAK #indvspak2023 #Rizwan #RohitSharmašµ #IndiaVsPakistan #CWC23 #ICCCricketWorldCup23 pic.twitter.com/NEhiFEzEMp
— ICT Fan (@Delphy06) October 14, 2023
Yes, PCB is a spineless organization. The Indian Cricket Team is one of the best in the world, so defeat in the game was not a big deal. In the game one team wins and the other loses. Pakistan has defetaed India several times as well. But after so many Hindutva attacks on the players, Pakistani fans not being allowed to go watch the World Cup, some display of back bone from Zaka Ashraf or even Babar Azam would have been nice!
