In response to an international backlash against his diatribe against the skipper of the Pakistan team, Sarfaraz Ahmad, former cricketer and chief selector of the Pakistan Cricket Board Aamer Sohail has extended an olive branch ahead of the critical Pakistan-India Champions Trophy final.
In a self-shot, half-minute video, Sohail says: “This is my special message for Sarfaraz. Sarfaraz, Pakistan is playing the final of big tournament after a long time. Pakistan played very well and you led very well. Please set aside the controversy and give your 100 per cent. Try your best for Pakistan.”
“We will clear the misunderstanding, when you come back,” he goes on to say.
Sohail concludes the message with good wishes for Sarfaraz. “All the very best, do your best, make us proud.”
Sohail recently criticised Sarfaraz Ahmad on TV for allegedly refusing to dedicate Pakistan’s win against Sri Lanka to Javed Miandad, which came on the cricketing legend’s birthday.
During a post-match analysis, Sohail expressed his anger at the perceived snub, saying that the new skipper has “nothing to be smug about; he just became captain.”
Social media sites buzzed with criticism after his diatribe, prompting him to issue a statement. In the statement, he had said, “My comments were made after I heard reports of Sarfaraz’s refusal to dedicate his performance against Sri Lanka to Miandad and him saying that Miandad criticises the team too much.”
“The other thing I said was that the facilitators of the win cannot be named; however I said nothing about match-fixing or any other foul play — my statement was misunderstood,” Sohail said.
Former Indian captain Saurav Ganguly bashed Sohail for his initial comments, calling his views “stupid” during an interview with India Today on Friday.
