Mumbai: The Pakistan team was put through tests of composure as well as patience when they suffered their seventh straight defeat against India in world cup games on June 16. With many players facing a lot of criticism, most from the team’s own fans, it was skipper Sarfaraz Ahmed who suffered the worst.
Set under the crosshairs for poor decision making against India, Sarfaraz was targeted by fans, experts and even Pakistan prime minister and former player Imran Khan. The skipper was not even at peace after the match as people fat shamed him and videos went viral.
One video in particular of a man who happened to meet Sarfaraz outside on the streets of England, called him a ‘fat pig’ amongst other insults right in front of his kid.
Though Sarfaraz was unaffected by the act, the video which also went viral, made its way to his family. Ahmed later revealed that the insults and especially the ‘fat pig’ video took a heavy toll on his family.
“I found my wife crying and upset after she saw the video. However, I consoled her and kept a positive attitude,” expressed Ahmed in a video with Zainab Abbas shared by ICC.
The skipper also spoke of the psychological impact the viral memes had on him and his team. “Had earlier teams faced the kind of criticism that we are facing, they would have realised how much these things hurt us. Now, there is social media. People write, comment and say whatever they like. These incidents affect the psychology of the players,” he added.
Watch the video here-
🇵🇰 captain @SarfarazA_54, in a disarmingly honest chat with our insider @ZAbbasOfficial, admits that fan reactions after the loss to India hurt him, but thanks those who stood by him and his team.#WeHaveWeWill pic.twitter.com/f6Q8yBeBgu
— ICC (@ICC) June 26, 2019
