After Pakistan and Afghanistan cricket fans clash, barbs fly online

The blockbuster Super4 match between Pakistan and Afghanistan in Asia Cup 2022 on Wednesday night saw acrimonious scenes both on and off the field .

While Pakistan batter Asif Ali was involved in an ugy scene after he was dismissed by pacer Fareed Ahmad, fans of the two sides clashed violently in the stands after Naseem Shah stole the match away from Afghanistan in the final over.

Naseem Shah smashed two back-to-back sixes in the final over to seal the game for Pakistan and take them to the final, while Afghanistan along with India exited the tournament.


It was an emotional moment for Afghanistan which was enjoying a brave run against more fancied teams and cameras caught the players in tears on the ground and their fans sobbing in the stands.

Soon after the match ended, a fight broke out between supporters of the two teams, with AFghan fans clashing with Pakistani fans in the stands of the Sharjah Cricket Stadium.

Videos which surfaced on social media showed Afghan fans hurling chairs at Pakistani fans and shouting slogans like "Afghanistan Zindabad."

Some of that acrimony also spread online with former Pak pacer Shoaib telling the former CEO of Afghanistan Cricket Board this: "This is what Afghan fans are doing. This is what they've done in the past multiple times. This is a game and it's supposed to be played and taken in the right spirit.@ShafiqStanikzai your crowd & your players both need to learn a few things if you guys want to grow in the sport."

Stanikzai hit back saying, "You can't control the emotions of the crowd and such incidents happened in the world of cricket multiple, you should go ask Kabir Khan, Inzimam Bhai and @iRashidLatif68 how we treated them. Am giving you an advice next time baat ko nation pe Mat lena."

Mohsin Dawar who is a Member National Assembly from North Waziristan in Pakistan, said the use of a cricket match as an "excuse" to hurl "racist abuse" against Afghanistan supporters is "shamelessness".

Pakistan's decades-old strategic depth policy and interventionist misadventures in Afghanistan are why Afghans have a problem with Pakistan. Introspect before belittling Afghans," tweeted Dawar who is also the Chairman Foreign Affairs Committee.

The authorities are yet to react to the incidents on and off the field. The Asian Cricket Council (ACC) is expected to have its say on the on-field confrontation between the players later on Thursday.