PCB defends Khushdil Shah after ugly fight with NZ fans post 0-3 loss

New Delhi, April 5 (IANS) Pakistan’s disastrous tour of New Zealand ended not just with a third straight ODI defeat, but also in controversy as all-rounder Khushdil Shah lost his temper and got into an ugly confrontation with taunting fans at the Bay Oval in Mount Maunganui on Saturday. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) later issued a statement confirming the incident and defending their player’s actions, citing abuse and anti-Pakistan slogans from a section of foreign, reportedly Afghan, spectators.

After Pakistan slumped to a 43-run defeat in the final ODI, capping off a demoralizing tour that saw them lose the T20I series 1-4 and the ODI series 0-3, Khushdil stormed towards a section of the crowd. While the exact trigger remains unclear, video footage and eyewitness accounts suggest the fans hurled repeated taunts targeting the team’s poor performances, which eventually pushed the 30-year-old cricketer over the edge.

The situation quickly escalated as Khushdil appeared to charge at the group before being restrained by support staff and teammates.

“The Pakistan team management strongly condemns the abusive language directed at national players. Khushdil Shah intervened after hearing anti-Pakistan slogans, but the situation escalated due to inappropriate remarks in Pashto,” the PCB said. The offending spectators were eventually ejected after an official complaint from the Pakistani side.

The incident overshadowed yet another poor performance on the field. Chasing 265 in a rain-curtailed 42-over contest, Pakistan once again failed to build momentum. Babar Azam’s 50 and Mohammad Rizwan’s brisk 37 offered brief hope, but the rest of the batting order crumbled under pressure, undone by disciplined bowling from New Zealand, especially Ben Sears, who claimed his second consecutive five-wicket haul.

Khushdil Shah later told Telecom Asia Sport (www.telecomasia.net) from New Zealand that he reacted after the person started abusing Pakistan.

"They were criticizing players and the team, but when they started abusing my country,y I got angry and went to this man, but he did not stop. It was only after that, I confronted him," said Khushdil.

Photos circulating on social media showed Khushdil being stopped by Pakistan reserve player Irfan Khan and a policeman as he tried to cross the fence to take on the abusive fan. Pakistanis residing in New Zealand were at the Bay Oval in good numbers but were left disappointed at the team's performance.

--IANS

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