Former Pakistani cricketer Hasan Raza made a string of bizarre claims regarding the performance of Indian bowlers after the Men in Blue registered a record-breaking 302-run win over Sri Lanka in the ICC World Cup 2023.
Shami picked a fifer and in the process became India's all-time highest wicket-taker in ODI World Cups with 45 scalps in just 14 matches.
The brilliance with the new ball startled Raza, which led him to suggest that Indian bowlers are using special balls provided by either the ICC (International Cricket Council) or BCCI (Board of Control for Cricket in India), which allow them to achieve swing even on batting-friendly pitches.
What did Hasan Raza say?
“We are not able to understand batsmen playing against other teams but whenever India begins their bowling, bowlers like Shami and Siraj look like when we used to play Allan Donald and Makhaya Ntini in South Africa. There used to be a shine on the ball on one side and there it used to seam and swing, but here I think even the ball is getting changed in second innings. The way ICC is giving these balls, or maybe the third umpire or BCCI is giving…I think these balls should be inspected,” Raza said.
'Jalan toh puri dikhti hai wo' - Shami responds to Raza
Shami had earlier taken to Instagram to respond to Raza's comments. On his story, he posted the following message saying, "Please have some shame and focus on the game. Don't talk nonsense, and sometimes try to enjoy others' success. This is the ICC World Cup, not your local tournament and you were also a player. Wasim bhai [Wasim Akram] had explained it, and still you don't believe your own [former] player Wasim Akram. Now I can praise you saying sir, just like a wow."
He has once again taken a dig at Raza and said: "Actually they have made cricket a joke because we don't enjoy each other's success. You become too happy when you are being praised, but when you lose, you feel that you have been cheated.
"You look at the records of the time we have been part of the team, you won't even find them close. Jalan toh puri dikhti hai wo. Itna jalane se kon se results mil jaane hain (Jealousy is evident. You can never get good results with this amount of jealousy)."
If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. Sporting News has editorial oversight for this content. Learn more >