The Pakistan team and their players are enduring a torrid time after their loss to India on June 16. The entire cricket establishment is being lambasted while certain players are being trashed mercilessly. The man facing the brunt of the criticism is the team's captain Sarfaraz Ahmed. His decision to bowl first is being seen as one of the biggest blunders of his career.
The decision was panned almost from the moment it was made. After the first few overs revealed that the pitch and the conditions are good for batting, the mistake of the skipper became even more prominent. If watching India put up a huge score after being put in didn't make Sarfaraz look bad enough, him yawning at the resumption of India's innings led to even more barbs being thrown at the 32-year old.
Once the result of the match was clear, floodgates of criticism were opened. Added to tactical blunders and charges of poor preparation, the keeper-batsman also got criticised for being out of shape. Some people even drew comparisons between the Indian team and its relentless pursuit of high levels of fitness and the seemingly casual approach of Pakistan.
Now a video has surfaced from the aftermath of the India vs Pakistan match which shows Sarfaraz standing on the ground, apparently after the conclusion of the game, and being called 'fat' by some fans in the crowd. That is not the only taunt which is thrown at him. The fans assail the Pakistan skipper with other comments including a reproach for not listening even to Prime Minister Imran Khan's advice – to bat first after winning the toss. Sarfaraz is seen looking at the offending fans momentarily in the video before trying to ignore them.
Being targeted by fans is a common phenomenon in cricket matches. Especially when a game is played between India and Pakistan, the wild emotions of the fans manifest themselves in the form of insult and disrespect. When Pakistan lost to India in the 2003 World Cup at Johannesburg, the then captain Waqar Younis was booed by fans. Even in this edition of the event, Steve Smith and David Warner of Australia have been at the receiving end of booing and taunting by fans. But unlike the two Aussies, Sarfaraz doesn't have good performances to seek comfort from.
