Fans rallied behind former Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi following Indian cricketer Suresh Raina’s dig at him after he was named ambassador for the T20 World Cup 2024.
Afridi was named ambassador for the highly anticipated ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024, to be held in the West Indies and the USA.
The former allrounder joined a distinguished lineup of ambassadors, featuring Indian maestro Yuvraj Singh, Chris Gayle, and the iconic sprinter Usain Bolt.
Expressing his excitement at being part of the upcoming edition as a tournament ambassador, Shahid Afridi said: “The ICC Men’s T20 World Cup holds a special place in my heart. From being honored as the Player of the Tournament in the inaugural edition to lifting the trophy in 2009, some of the most memorable moments of my career stem from competing on this prestigious stage.”
Read more: Shahid Afridi named ICC T20 World Cup 2024 ambassador
Fans lauded the decision to name him the brand ambassador, however, former Indian batter Suresh Raina had a witty response to Afridi being named for the position.
Following the announcement, one X user mentioned the Indian batter in a tweet with the news.
Reacting to the announcement, he wrote: “I’m not an ICC ambassador, but I have the 2011 World Cup at my house. Remember the game at Mohali? Hope it brings back some unforgettable memories for you.”
Fans soon came out in support of Afridi, reminding Raina that it was the former Pakistan captain that snatched a game from India in an edition of the Asia Cup by hitting Ravichandran Ashwin two sixes on last two balls.
The fan recalled Afridi’s stats against India, writing that he had scored 2,286 runs at a strike rate of above 100 and has smashed three fiery hundreds against the arch-rivals in his career.
On the remarks that Suresh Raina has the 2011 World Cup trophy, the fan informed the Indian cricketer that Afridi too, has a trophy in his cabinet.
The trophy was a reference to the T20 World Cup 2009 Pakistan won on the back of brilliant all-round performance by Afridi in semi-final and the final against Sri Lanka.
Days earlier, Raina took a dig at Afridi after he was asked about the possibility of reversing his retirement.
When asked about the potential reversal, the Indian cricketer said: “No. I am Suresh Raina not Shahid Afridi.”
Meanwhile, drawing parallels between the upcoming T20 World Cup 2024 and Champions Trophy 2017 which Pakistan won by defeating Indian in the final, one fan suggested that the Men in Green will win the tournament as Afridi was also the brand ambassador of the Champions Trophy 2017.
