"Not a wise decision" - Shoaib Akhtar on Rohit Sharma electing to field first in IND vs PAK match of 2023 World Cup
Shoaib Akhtar reckons that Team India skipper Rohit Sharma missed a trick by electing to field first after winning the toss in the side's 2023 World Cup fixture against Pakistan at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Saturday, October 14.
Shoaib opined that India should not have asked Pakistan to bat first, considering that it was a very flat wicket. He also questioned India's decision to not add an extra spinner on the surface.
In a video shared by the former speedster on his X (formerly Twitter) handle, he said:
"It is a very good wicket. Rohit Sharma winning the toss and fielding first is beyond me. Also, I don't know why they didn't play an extra spinner. I am very happy that Pakistan got to bat first here. They are off to a flyer. It was not a wise decision by India. They have given Pakistan a chance to score big runs."
India made just one to their lineup by bringing in opener Shubman Gill for Ishan Kishan. Pakistan, on the other hand, persisted with the same playing XI.
"History shall repeat itself " - Shoaib Akhtar's cryptic tweet ahead of IND vs PAK encounter
Shoaib Akhtar shared a cryptic tweet ahead of the blockbuster clash between India and Pakistan. He posted a picture of him celebrating a wicket during his playing days and wrote:
"History shall repeat itself tomorrow."
It is worth mentioning that Akhtar later went on to delete the post. He was trolled by many Indian fans for the tweet, with many reminding him of the Men in Blue's flawless 7-0 record over Pakistan in ODI World Cups.
IND vs PAK playing XIs
India: Rohit Sharma(c), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul(w), Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj.
Pakistan: Abdullah Shafique, Imam-ul-Haq, Babar Azam(c), Mohammad Rizwan(w), Saud Shakeel, Iftikhar Ahmed, Shadab Khan, Mohammad Nawaz, Hasan Ali, Shaheen Afridi, Haris Rauf