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Former cricketer Basit Ali lambasted Pakistan Shaheens captain Mohammad Haris for his controversial remark about players not allowed to talk about India in the dressing room during the Men’s T20 Emerging Teams Asia Cup in Oman. In a video that went viral on social media ahead of India’s clash against Pakistan in the Emerging Teams Asia Cup, Haris revealed that talking about India is forbidden in the dressing room. “Aapko ek baat batau. Pehli dafa hoga ke is dressing room mei Bharat par baat karne pe pabandi hai (I will tell you one thing; for the first time ever, we are not allowed to talk about India in the dressing room),” Haris said in a viral video on social media.

“We don’t have to think [only] about India. We have to think about other teams as well. I have been in the [senior] Pakistan team and played in the last World Cup as well. It creates so much pressure that mentally, you are thinking about India, India. We have to face other teams as well,” he added.

Haris comments were greeted with mixed reactions, and mostly, he was slammed for his remark after making the headlines.

The comments made by Haris did not go down well with the former Pakistan cricketer. Basit claimed that Haris has no sense of what and what not to speak.

“He has no sense, what to speak and what not (Usko akal nahi hai, kya bolna hai kya nahi bolna). If somebody thinks the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has given those instructions, then that is wrong,” Basit said on his YouTube channel.

India A and Pakistan A will face each other in the upcoming tournament on Saturday at Al Amerat Cricket Ground Oman Cricket (Ministry Turf 1).

India A squad: Tilak Varma (captain), Abhishek Sharma, Ayush Badoni, Nishant Sindhu, Ramandeep Singh, Anuj Rawat, Prabhsimran Singh, Nehal Wadhera, Anshul Kamboj, Hrithik Shokeen, Aaqib Khan, Vaibhav Arora, Rasikh Salam, Sai Kishore, Rahul Chahar

Pakistan A squad: Mohammad Haris (captain), Abdul Samad, Ahmed Daniyal, Arafat Minhas, Haider Ali, Haseebullah, Mehran Mumtaz, Mohammad Abbas Afridi, Mohammad Imran Jnr, Omair Bin Yousuf, Qasim Akram, Shahnawaz Dahani, Sufiyan Moqim, Yasir Khan and Zaman Khan.

Pakistan A captain Mohammad Haris revealed that discussions about India is completely banned in the dressing room during the upcoming ACC Men’s T20 Emerging Teams Asia Cup. Pakistan A are all set to take on India A in their first match of the tournament on October 19. In a video going viral on social media, Haris explained that there is always pressure on the side when they take on arch-rivals India and the decision was taken to not exert any extra pressure on the cricketers. 

“Aapko ek baat batau. Pehli dafa hoga ke iss dressing room mei Bharat par baat karne pe pabandi hai (I will tell you one thing; it’s the first time ever that we are not allowed to talk about India in the dressing room),” Haris said in the viral video.

“You don’t have to think about India, we have to think about other teams as well. I have been in the senior Pakistan team, played the last World Cup as well. It creates so much pressure that mentally you are thinking about India, India. We have to face other team as well,” he added.

Humare Dressing Room Mein India Par Baat Karne Pe Pabandi Hai;

Captain Pakistan Emerging Team Muhammad Haris. pic.twitter.com/rrD3HIlyTI

— Shahzaib Ali (@DSBcricket) October 15, 2024

Mumbai Indians star Tilak Varma will lead India A while Abhishek Sharma will serve as his deputy in the upcoming men’s T20 Emerging Teams Asia Cup, scheduled from October 18 to 27 in Oman.

The 21-year-old Varma brings experience from four ODIs and 16 T20Is, while Sharma has played eight T20Is. The squad also includes leg spinner Rahul Chahar, who has six T20I and one ODI appearances for India.

India A boasts several players with IPL experience, including Prabhsimran Singh from Punjab Kings, Anuj Rawat from Royal Challengers Bangalore, Ayush Badoni from Lucknow Super Giants, Ramandeep Singh from Kolkata Knight Riders, and Nehal Wadhera from Mumbai Indians in the batting lineup.

In the bowling department, the team features Vaibhav Arora (KKR), R Sai Kishore (Gujarat Titans), Hrithik Shokeen (MI), Rasikh Salam (Delhi Capitals), and Aaqib Khan.

Placed in Group B, India A will kick off their campaign against Pakistan on October 19 at the Oman Cricket Academy Ground in Muscat.

Oman and UAE complete their group, while Group A consists of Afghanistan A, Bangladesh A, Hong Kong, and Sri Lanka A.

This will mark the first time the tournament is played in the T20 format. The previous five editions were held in the 50-over format.

(With PTI inputs)

File image of Babar Azam (right) and Shaheen Shah Afridi.© AFP