Abdul Razzaq accuses Team India of intentionally losing to England in World Cup 2019
Abdul Razzaq accuses Team India of intentionally losing to England in World Cup 2019
Former Pakistan cricketer Abdul Razzaq has stated that there is no doubt that India lost the match against England intentionally at the ICC World Cup in 2019. The match has come under a scanner once again after excerpts from Ben Stokes’ book ‘On Fire’, on the match, surfaced last week.
In his book, Stokes has looked over every England’s match in the grand event, and while talking about the encounter against the men in blue, Stokes wrote that “there was little or no intent from Dhoni” in the match, and described the partnership between Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli as “mystifying”.
Former Pakistan cricketer Sikander Bakht, on social media, claimed that the English all-rounder has written in his book that India lost intentionally in order to remove Pakistan from the World Cup. However, despite the fact that Stokes dismissed the claims, calling the suggestions as ‘click bait’, Abdul Razzaq feels the India didn’t play up to their full capacity in the game.
Talking in a new channel RY Sports, Razzaq stated that, “We were watching the match, we all felt the same. I also think ICC should put a fine on this. If any team loses a match intentionally to make sure a team does not qualify, then the team should be fined for this. If a quality bowler is not trying to bowl according to his standards, not giving a good line and length, and bowling full length, and giving away runs, then it comes to notice.”
When asked by the host if he thinks India deliberately gave away the match to make sure that Pakistan did not progress to the knock-out stage, the former Pakistan all-rounder answered in the affirmative.
“There is no doubt (India lost the match intentionally). I said it at that time as well. Every cricketer felt the same. A player who can hit a six or a four is defending the ball, you just know,” he said.
The match between the two heavyweights saw the host England put up a massive target of 338 runs. Despite of Rohit Sharma’s century, india was not able to chase the target, finishing at 306/5 in stipulated 50 overs.
Former Pakistan cricketer Mushtaq Ahmed stated that West Indies players had said to him that India lost the game to stop Pakistan from going into the knockout stages. “I was working with the West Indies squad at last year’s World Cup. After India’s loss to England, Jason Holder, Chris Gayle and Andre Russell said to me, Mushy, India didn’t want to see Pakistan qualify for the semi-finals,” Mushtaq Ahmed had said in the same interview.