WATCH: PCB invites fresh controversy after chairman Zaka Ashraf calls India “Dushman Mulk”, fans react

In a video that went viral on social media platforms, fans fumed over Ashraf for such comments given that he is the chairman of the board.

WATCH: PCB invites fresh controversy after chairman Zaka Ashraf calls India “Dushman Mulk”, fans react

Zaka Ashraf (Image via X)

After seven long years, the Pakistan cricket team finally arrived in India on Thursday (September 27) to take part in the 2023 ODI World Cup. Their arrival invited massive excitement among the Indian fans and they clustered around the players to get a glimpse of them. Things had been running smoothly for a while when Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Zaka Ashraf invited fresh controversy when he termed India a “dushman mulk”, meaning an “enemy country”.

In a video that went viral on social media platforms, fans fumed over Ashraf for such comments given that he is the chairman of the board. Ashraf was addressing the media after resolving the contract issues when he uttered those words.

YouTube video

“We have awarded these contracts to our players with immense love and affection. Never before in Pakistan’s history has such a substantial amount been allocated to players. My objective was to ensure that our players’ morale remains high as they travel to compete in countries, including the so-called enemy country,” Ashraf said in the clip that has gone viral.

Watch the video here:

Pakistan and India do not share a good bond, all due to politics and terrorism. Since 2012, the two neighbors stopped playing in bilateral series and only faced each other in the Asia Cup and the ICC events.

Related: “The medical panel didn’t take it seriously,” ex-Pakistan player accuses PCB of continuously playing Naseem Shah despite his raising injury concerns

Check fans’ reactions to Zaka Ashraf’s Dushman Mulk comment

Not just the Indian fans, but even Pakistani cricket enthusiasts expressed their disappointment over such comments from Zaka Ashraf given that the players received a warm welcome from India when they landed in Hyderabad. The fans from both countries slammed Ashraf for the same.

WATCH: PCB invites fresh controversy after chairman Zaka Ashraf calls India "Dushman Mulk", fans react
Zaka Ashraf (Image via X)
https://twitter.com/Sahilsa29/status/1707589254153650270

Pakistan will play two warm-up matches before officially starting their ODI World Cup campaign against the Netherlands on October 6 at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad. The two rivals, India and Pakistan will square off against each other on October 14 at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.

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