Afghanistan opener Rahmanullah Gurbaz has made a stunning revelation about the after events of the dramatic Asia Cup 2022 Super 4 clash against Pakistan at the Sharjah Stadium. The right-handed batter has revealed that the fans allowed their emotions to get the better of themselves that night to the extent that several people committed suicide.
Pakistan had beaten Afghanistan in a low-scoring thriller
Although Afghanistan had made only 129 in their stipulated 20 overs, they made the Men in Green work hard to score the required runs. It all came down to 11 needing off the final six deliveries, with Pakistan having only one wicket in their hand. Naseem Shah finished it off in the first two balls of the over to fire their side to a one-wicket victory. Tensions also heightened in the match between Fareed Ahmed and Asif Ali as it almost escalated into a physical fight.
Speaking to Shubhankar Mishra, the youngster disclosed that he is still reminded of that defeat when he walks into Sharjah Stadium.
“For me, the most heartbreaking match was the loss against Pakistan in the 2022 Asia Cup. People back home were very hurt. Many people cried. Here, people committed suicide. We have many emotional people here. We also get hurt as we play for people here. As I am talking to you about that match, I can still recall the sad memories. Whenever I walk into the Sharjah Stadium, I am reminded of that heartbreaking loss. I still think about how we lost that game, which we should have won. We didn’t bat well, but we bowled nicely. But in the end, we lost.”
“Our fans here want us to defeat Pakistan at all times” – Rahmanullah Gurbaz
While Gurbaz stated that they don’t have anything personally against Pakistan’s cricketers, he revealed Afghanistan always like to win against that particular opposition.
“We are cricketers. We play for people here in Afghanistan. Our happiness lies in our people’s happiness. If you ask people here about the most memorable game, they would tell you about the 2023 ODI World Cup win against Pakistan. As a cricketer, I don’t have any personal grudges against any other cricketer. Our fans here want us to defeat Pakistan at all times.”
Gurbaz is not part of either IPL or PSL this year.
