Dedicate My 'Player Of The Match' Award To Afghans Sent Back By Pakistan: Afghanistan Batsman After His Team Crushes Babar Azam's Side In Chennai

"I want to dedicate this 'Man of the Match' (award) to people sent back home to Afghanistan by Pakistan".

That was Afghanistan batsman Ibrahim Zadran speaking to broadcasters after his team dismantled Pakistan in Chennai.

The context to Zadran's statement is a recent order by Pakistan government asking all 'undocumented refugees' in the country to leave Pakistan by 1 November, 2023, or face deportation.

The move was seen primarily targeting the Afghan refugees in the country, whose numbers are estimated to be more than 17 lakhs.

Caretaker Interior Minister of Pakistan Sarfraz Bugti even said, "If they do not go, … then all the law enforcement agencies in the provinces or federal government will be utilised to deport them."

Speculations were also going around at the time that the Pakistan government in fact wanted all Afghans to leave the country eventually.

Zadran's statement becomes important in the context of two other developments, closer home:

1. Pakistan wicket keeper-batsman Mohammad Rizwan dedicating his team's victory over Sri Lanka to Palestinians.

Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) leader Udhayanidhi Stalin had tweeted: "India is renowned for its sportsmanship and hospitality. However, the treatment meted out to Pakistan players at Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad is unacceptable and a new low. Sports should be a unifying force between countries, fostering true brotherhood. Using it as a tool to spread hatred is condemnable."

Following this, for Monday's game, social media posts revealed some fans in Chennai going overboard to support Pakistan.

However, if sportsmanship and hospitality were truly the criteria to rank a venue's suitability to host a World Cup game, then Afghanistan evidently deserved more sympathy and support than Pakistan.

Not only have they battled tougher conditions to be in the tournament, they were clearly the better team on the pitch. Zadran's statement highlighted this truth.

To be sure, Afghanistan did take a victory lap around the ground after their win. The significance of this would also not be lost on Pakistan and the crowd at the stadium. The same stadium was the venue of a victory lap of the Pakistan team in early 1999 when they won a famous Test victory over India.

2023 World Cup

Pakistan's chances of making it to the semi-final received a near-fatal blow today. Pakistan is currently fifth in the World Cup table in which the top four qualify for the semi-final. It has four games left and three out of the four are against South Africa, New Zealand, and England. Each of whom would fancy their chances against Pakistan.