Former Pakistan pacer Shoaib Akhtar lauded Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his heartfelt gesture in consoling the Indian players in the dressing room following their heartbreaking defeat to Australia in the ICC World Cup 2023 final in Ahmedabad.
The Rohit Sharma-led Indian cricket team had dominated the group stage with a remarkable 10 consecutive victories, earning their spot in the final of the ODI World Cup 2023.
Despite their formidable journey, the Men in Blue couldn't sustain their momentum in the final showdown, ultimately losing the trophy to Australia, who won the summit clash by six wickets.
After the heartbreaking defeat in the final, the Indian players like Rohit, Virat Kohli, Mohammed Siraj, and Mohammad Shami broke down, and PM Narednra Modi visited the dressing room and ttried to motivate them in the dressing room.
Well, hailing Modi for his heart-winning move, Shoaib Akhtar reserved special praise for Rohit, highlighting the Indian skipper's unwavering determination throughout the tournament.
He lauded Rohit’s selfless approach, stressing that the Indian captain's sole focus was on achieving the ultimate goal of winning the World Cup for the country.
Shoaib Akhtar told Zee News: “I appreciated the gesture of your Prime Minister. He gave a clear message that he is there with the players. It was a huge gesture. This was a message that India as a nation is standing beside the Indian cricket team. As simple as that. This is a really emotional time for them. He took them (players) as his children, as kids and he lifted their morale to tell them that they played well. This was a great gesture by the PM.”
Praising Rohit for his incredible captaincy, Akhtar said: “Rohit Sharma played really well and led the team superbly. He just missed the trick on the last day. Otherwise, he thoroughly deserved to win the World Cup. I’m still thinking why he couldn’t win the title.”
He added, “He had the right intent throughout the tournament. He didn’t think about personal milestones. Instead, he was focused on winning the World Cup for India. I genuinely feel for him.”
The former Pakistan pacer further slammed the trolls for targeting the family members of the Indian cricketers after the World Cup 2023 loss.
Akhtar signed off by saying, “Players dream about winning the World Cup in front of their wives and kids. And damn those people who are people who are trolling and abusing the Indian players’ families. How low can they stoop? They were there to support them and you are targeting them.”
(With Zee News Inputs)
