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Indian cricket star Mohammed Shami has once again called out Pakistan’s veteran pacer Hasan Raza over unfounded accusations of ball tampering during the ODI World Cup 2023. Shami, currently on the road to recovery from injury, took the opportunity to re-address the allegations and condemned Raza’s comments in a fiery response.
Mohammed Shami’s stellar run
It is worth mentioning that Shami played a pivotal role in India’s journey to the finals of the ODI World Cup 2023, claiming an impressive 24 wickets in just seven matches. This outstanding contribution, backed by equally impressive performances in the past, earned Shami the prestigious Arjuna Award, a testament to his significant impact on Indian cricket.
The background of Raza-Shami controversy
The controversy between Raza and Shami began when the former, while commenting on India’s success in the World Cup, made baseless allegations of ball tampering against the home side. Raza’s remarks were met with widespread criticism from various quarters, with Shami himself joining in to dismiss the accusations. However, the issue resurfaced as Shami once again took the opportunity to address and condemn Raza’s claims.
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Shami’s strong counter and ‘jealousy’ jibe
Shami did not mince his words when responding to Raza’s allegations. In a scathing retort, the Uttar Pradesh-born cricketer suggested that jealousy was at the root of such unfounded claims. He emphasized the toxic nature of players not being able to appreciate each other’s successes, leading to baseless accusations when someone goes past their records and achievements.
“Actually they have made cricket a joke because we don’t enjoy each other’s success. You become too happy when you are being praised, but when you lose, you feel that you have been cheated. You look at the records of the time we have been part of the team, you won’t even find them close. Jalan toh puri dikhti hai wo. Itna jalane se kon se results mil jaane hain (Jealousy is evident. You can never get good results with this amount of jealousy),” Shami was quoted saying by NDTV.
