Former Pakistan cricketer Sikander Bakht has grabbed the headlines with his recent comments on Indian skipper Rohit Sharma's coin-tossing technique in the ongoing ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup.
Speaking on Geo News, Bakht pointed out that Rohit throws the coin at a distance that could prevent the opposing captain from verifying the result of the toss. He also suggested that it could be a deliberate trick to gain an unfair advantage.
Bakht was quoted saying, “Shararat kar sakta hoon? Mai ek sawal kar raha hoon agar hum dikha sake toss ke waqt. Rohit Sharma jab toss karte hai vo dur fenkte hai aur dusra captain jaa ke kabhi nahi dekhta ki vo sahi usne call kiya,” which translates to, "Can I give you a conspiracy theory? At the time of the toss, Rohit Sharma throws the coin far from the range of any opposition captain. Thus, the opposition captain cannot go and cross-check about the call."
Sikander Bakht's comments came in the wake of India’s comprehensive 70-run victory over New Zealand in the first semi-final of the World Cup 2023.
With his remarks, Bakht has also raised doubts over the integrity of the match referee. Notably, it’s the match referee who verifies the result of the toss.
During the World Cup 2023, Sikander Bakht isn’t the only former Pakistan player to come up with conspiracy theories to demean India’s stunning performance.
Earlier, Hasan Raza had accused the Indian team of cheating, suggesting that their bowlers are getting “different and suspicious balls” in this World Cup. He also claimed that the BCCI is manipulating the Decision Review System (DRS) in favour of the Indian team.