Bangalore: “Don’t call me Pakistani. I am half Australian,” said former Pakistan player Waqar Younis.
Australia defeated Pakistan by 62 runs in the 18th league match of the current World Cup cricket series yesterday. The Pakistan team won the toss and opted to bowl in this match which was held at Chinnaswamy Cricket Ground in Bengaluru. Batting first, Australia scored 367 runs for the loss of 9 wickets in 50 overs. The team’s openers Warner and Marsh put together a partnership of 259 runs. Mitchell Marsh scored 121 runs. David Warner scored 163 off 124 balls.
Pakistan chased down the target of 368 runs to win. The team’s openers Abdullah Shafiq and Imam-ul-Haq gave a brilliant start. The two put on a partnership of 134 runs. Australia destroyed it. After that, the Pakistani players lost wickets at regular intervals. Captain Babar Azam was dismissed for 18 runs and disappointed. Subsequently, the Pakistan team failed to form a proper partnership. Thus, Pakistan scored 305 runs after losing all the wickets at the end of 45.3 overs. Australia won by this. Zamba, who bowled 10 overs, scored 53 runs and took 4 wickets.
This is Pakistan’s second defeat in the ongoing World Cup series. Already, India had lost. Former Australian players Shane Watson, Aaron Finch and former Pakistan player Waqar Younis commented after the match. Both Finch and Watson, who were talking about Australia’s victory, talked about Pakistan.
Then, “Don’t call me Pakistani. I’m half Australian. So don’t just label me as a Pakistani,” Waqar Younis stunned. This led to a few minutes of laughter in the commentary. Watson and Finch laughed at Waqar Younis’ words.
Due to Pakistan’s series of defeats, Waqar Younis was criticized on social media for speaking like this. Many people are criticizing Waqar as a symbol of Pakistan’s cricketing tradition, saying that he should not have spoken like this.
But there is another reason why he said this. Although Waqar Younis is a Pakistani by birth, he is currently living in New South Wales, Australia with his family. His wife Faryal was born in Pakistan and raised in Australia. Farrell works there as a doctor. The couple has three children. He is said to have made such a comment after Waqar Younis is currently living in Australia with three children.
