'Is he still 14?' Cricket fans troll Pakistan's Hasan Raza's 'special balls for Indian bowlers' comment

Former Pakistan international cricketer Hasan Raza believes ICC, BCCI, and the match umpires are giving "special balls" to Team India in the ODI World Cup 2023.

Hasan Raza

It's a well-known fact that retired players often enjoy sharing their opinions on the game and the current teams. This trend is evident in the ongoing ICC Men's ODI World Cup 2023, where former players participate in various YouTube and news channels, offering their insights on the matches. In the case of Pakistan, cricket legends like Wasim Akram, Shoaib Malik, and Misbah ul Haq have provided entertaining and insightful commentary that even Indian fans appreciate. However, there are others who express unusual opinions and, in turn, become subjects of trolling.

A recent conversation on the news channel 'ABN' involving former Pakistan international cricketer Hasan Raza has attracted widespread attention from fans in both nations. Following India's resounding victory over Sri Lanka at Mumbai's Wankhede Stadium, where Indian pacers dismissed Sri Lanka for a mere 55 while defending a total of 357, the show's anchor posed a rather unconventional question to Raza. This question centred on whether Indian bowlers were using special balls, thus enhancing their perceived skills.

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The anchor asked, "Is there a possibility that Indian bowlers are given a different ball? The amount of seam and swing Indian bowlers are getting it seems Indian bowlers are bowling on a bowling wicket, 'ajeebo gareeb' (weird) seam and swing."

One might initially consider such a comment or allegation to be a mere jest, but Raza's response left everyone in sheer amazement.

"Shayad ball be change ho jata hai second innings mein; jiss tareeke se ICC ball de raha hai, ya fir third umpire panel de raha hai, ya BCCI de raha hai; iska inspection hona chahiye", says Raza.

The former Pakistani cricketer went on to add that there's a questionable connection between the ICC, BCCI, and the match umpires regarding the provision of the cricket balls. He alleged that Indian bowlers received specialised balls that aid them in generating an unusually high degree of seam and swing.

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However, his claims did not stop there; he started the conversation by insinuating that some DRS decisions have disproportionately favoured India and there is a need for a thorough investigation. However, he fails to provide any substantial evidence or specific instances to support his assertions.

The news anchor joined the discussion, questioning how Indian bowlers can appear extraordinary on pitches where other bowlers seem ordinary. He suggested that similar to tape-ball cricket, captains should scrutinize the cricket balls in case of a rematch between Pakistan and India.

Following these comments, fans, mainly from India but some from Pakistan as well, took to social media to mock the former cricketer who played seven Tests and 16 ODIs between 1996 and 2005.

It's worth noting that when he made his Test debut in 1996, he and Pakistan had initially claimed that he was the youngest cricketer to debut in international cricket at the age of 14 years and 227 days.

However, this assertion was later debunked, and the PCB retracted the record claim. Many on the internet didn't forget this episode and jokingly questioned if he was still 14 years old.

As for the World Cup, India extended their remarkable winning streak in the ODI World Cup 2023 by securing their seventh consecutive victory. Additionally, India became the inaugural team to secure a spot in the semi-finals.

This remarkable which took them to the top of the points table will now see them prepare to face South Africa at the Eden Gardens on Sunday.

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