"Ye fans kis ko dekhnain aye they?"- Azhar Ali takes subtle dig at Shoaib Akhtar while Mohammad Amir joins in
Azhar Ali posted a cryptic Tweet taking a subtle dig at Shoaib Akhtar's comments regarding the Pakistan national team.
The 36-year-old tweeted:
Ye fans Kis ko dekhnain aye they? (Translation: Whom did the fans come to see?)
Azhar Ali attached a picture with a bunch of Pakistani fans supporting the men in green after their recent 31-run win over England in the first T20I.
Mohammad Amir, who announced his retirement from international cricket last year, also joined in on the fun and replied to the batsman's tweet.
Following Pakistan's dismal display in the 3-match ODI series against England, former fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar came down heavily on the national team. The Rawalpindi Express stated the game would never grow if the players kept producing such below-par performances.
"Crowd are coming to the ground but after watching such performances, the fan following will never grow. There is no star to inspire the youngsters. Then how can you bring the next Shoaib Akhtar, Shahid Afridi or Wasim Akram? You have to build brand," Akhtar had said on his YouTube channel.
"England may have underestimated the Pakistan team"- Shoaib Akhtar changes tune after Pakistan win the first T20I
Shoaib Akhtar seemingly changed his tune after Pakistan came up with an inspiring performance in the first T20I by putting up 231 runs on the board.
Following the win over England in the shortest format, Akhtar stated that the hosts might have underestimated the Pakistan team, while branding the Men in Green as one of the best T20 teams in the world.
Speaking on his YouTube channel, the 45-year-old said:
"England may have underestimated the Pakistan team. Maybe they didn't understand that Pakistan is one of the best T20 teams in the world. It shouldn't come as a surprise if Pakistan wins the T20 World Cup this year. England needs to realize that the World Cup is going to be in the UAE and it is not going to be easy for them."
The two teams will resume their rivalry in the second T20I tomorrow. The visitors will hope that they can carry on with the momentum they gained after winning the first T20I.