IND vs PAK 2022: "Indian fans tend to shout a lot" - Shoaib Akhtar believes Team India supporters lack patience upon losing
Former pacer Shoaib Akhtar has urged Indian fans to stay patient after the team's defeat against Pakistan. The Men in Blue lost by five wickets against their arch-rivals in their Super 4s encounter of the 2022 Asia Cup on Sunday, September 4.
Ardent fans from both nations maintained a solid atmosphere throughout the course of the match at the Dubai International Stadium. With over a billion sets of eyes glued to the contest, the stakes could not have been any higher.
There is bound to be disappointment across one side of the border following the culmination of the contest due to the nature of the rivalry.
That's that from another close game against Pakistan.
Pakistan win by 5 wickets.
Up next, #TeamIndia play Sri Lanka on Tuesday.
Scorecard - bit.ly/AsiaCup2022-IN… #INDvPAK #AsiaCup2022 https://t.co/Ou1n4rJxHu
Commenting on the Indian fans' lack of patience across the border over their team's performances, Shoaib Akhtar said on his YouTube channel:
"Good move by Babar Azam sending [Mohammad] Nawaz up the order instead of sending Iftikhar [Ahmed] like before. India fans should stay relaxed despite the loss, they tend to shout a lot after losing, so don't lose hope because as Pakistanis we wish that India features in the final."
Akhtar added:
"I said it before that India and Pakistan should face each other thrice in this tournament."
The two teams have won one match apiece against each other in the ongoing 2022 Asia Cup so far. They could meet once again should both their results go in their favor during the Super 4s stage of the competition.
The complete Asia Cup winners list from 1984 to present can be found here, check it out.
India-Pakistan Super 4s clash drew record viewership
The revival of one of cricket's greatest rivalries was epitomized by the record viewership it gathered on digital as well as television media across the globe. On a digital scale, the recently concluded encounter between the two sides reportedly drew over 14 million viewers.
India Vs Pakistan (14M) registers the highest peak viewership on Hotstar in 2022.
The fact that the contest went into the last over showcased just how closely matched both sides are. Emotions ran high and the intensity of the contest also seemed to cement the rivalry's status as one of the greatest in cricketing history.
While some might argue that it lacks the venom from yesteryear, the quality of cricket has not dropped, making it a thrilling experience to witness. They will now look to do all they can to meet once more in the final of the 2022 Asia Cup on September 11.
Even if that potential clash doesn't become a reality, the rivalry will inevitably have another chapter this year. Both teams are scheduled to compete in the group stages of the 2022 T20 World Cup at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) next month as well.