Former Indian cricketer Irfan Pathan has been vocal when it comes to interactions between Indian and Pakistani players post the Pahalgam attacks and Operation Sindoor. He has spoken at length on the recent tense situation between the players during the Asia Cup matches.

Tensed situation in last match

India’s victory over Pakistan in two matches has raised tensions, especially after the last clash where tempers flared between Indian openers Shubman Gill and Abhishek Sharma and Pakistan’s bowlers.

Addressing the current situation on his YouTube channel, Irfan said, “India wins, India progresses. This is the magic of India. But yesterday we saw a lot of aggression, a lot of banter, to the extent that Abhishek Sharma said in the post-match presentation that they said things they shouldn’t have. That’s why all the players posted on social media: you will keep talking, we will keep winning. It’s a straightforward message.”

Explaining further, Irfan added that Indian players are making efforts to remain civil on the ground. “Indian cricketers are never affected. We never say anything. We quietly play our cricket. But don’t think that we won’t respond if you say something, whether you’re Australian or Pakistani. We will answer. We will answer with our bat, and we will answer you. If you mess with us…”

India just analyse don’t react unnecessarily

Pathan pointed out that while Indian fans engage with Pakistani cricket only from a rivalry standpoint when matches come up, Pakistan tends to take it far more seriously, even when India isn’t playing them. Highlighting the difference between Indian and Pakistani cricketers, he said Indian players never publicly talk about Pakistani players or how they performed, whether they win or lose. He further noted that while Indian players analyse games, they don’t go into unnecessary detailing as they hardly care.

Pakistani players went too far

Speaking about Sahibzada Farhan’s “gun celebration” and Haris Rauf’s antics, Pathan said Pakistan went too far in Sunday’s match. “If you mess with us, we won’t let you go. That has been our rule. What happened in the match yesterday, whether it was Farhan’s celebration—you know what is happening between our two countries, and you are doing that celebration.”

On Haris Rauf, Pathan added: “I thought this boy was okay, but the behaviour he showed yesterday was not necessary. It reflects their upbringing, where they come from, and what they do.”

Concluding, the former Indian all-rounder reiterated that Indian players believe in giving their answers on the field, not through unnecessary aggression.

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