Kamran Akmal slams Irfan Pathan for dancing with Rashid Khan: 'Neutral commentators shouldn't do this'

When Irfan Pathan spotted Rashid Khan during the victory lap of the Afghanistan team in Chennai after their win against Pakistan, he spontaneously broke into a dance with Rashid even though he was engaged in his own analysis. The video of their dance was widely circulated, and it didn't sit particularly well with few players and fans back in Pakistan.

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Former Pakistan wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal was not pleased with this impromptu jig and said that he was very surprised since broadcasters are expected to stay neutral and not engage in such activities.

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“I remember India beating Pakistan in Australia; even then this kind of happiness wasn’t seen. But there seems to be greater joy in Afghanistan defeating Pakistan. It was sad to see – not just for me but for nation. The broadcasters should think about this – neutral commentators shouldn’t do this,” Kamran told Ary News.

Irfan Pathan then posted an Instagram video where he explained the reasons behind this dance. He said, “And I full filled mine. Rashid Khan told me they will win again and I told him I will dance again.”

Meanwhile, in Pakistan, discussions and debates continue after Pakistan’s shock defeat at the hands of Afghanistan. This was Pakistan’s third loss in the World Cup after the team went down to India and Australia in the earlier games. Former Pakistan player Ahmed Shehzad criticised how "friendships" are influencing player selections, and how this has played a part in these performances.

“When you start selecting players on likes and dislikes, then the players feel betrayed in their trust. And the main players quit for America … Friendship is one thing, but you can’t sweep their blunders under the carpet when you look at the nation,” Shehzad told the same news portal.

In the match against Afghanistan, Pakistan managed to post a total of 282 runs and were considered favourites with the pitch conditions and their bowling attack.

However, Afghanistan were not to be blown away as their opening batters added 130 runs for the first wicket. With this platform, Hashmatullah Shahidi and Rahmat Shah remained unbeaten for the third wicket as they guided the side over the line in the 49th over.