ICC World Cup 2023: 'Start Celebrating Your Fast Bowlers'- Shoaib Akhtar's Plea to Indian Fans

After witnessing India’s outstanding performance at the World Cup, Shoaib Akhtar made an earnest plea to the tournament hosts. India has been exceptional at the 2023 World Cup, maintaining an unbeaten record thus far. India has dominated with seven consecutive victories. Against Sri Lanka, they showcased an impressive bowling performance. This prompted a reaction from the former Pakistani pacer.

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Akhtar uploaded a video of himself on X, in which he can be heard saying, “India is becoming a ruthless side, from this point, the onslaught cannot be stopped but my request to Indians is to start celebrating your fast bowlers because everyone was happy and there was a lot of noise on each delivery at the Wankhede Stadium."

Akhtar has been actively following the World Cup in India. He has commended the hosts on multiple occasions on their performances in the tournament. He also acknowledged the achievements of Mohammed Shami at the World Cup who became India’s leading wicket-taker in the competition with 45 scalps.

Indian bowlers have constantly earned praise from former cricket legends for their consistency in the tournament. Earlier this week, Pakistan’s iconic pacer Wasim Akram had praised Jasprit Bumrah for his spoils in the ongoing tournament.

While speaking to A Sports, Wasim called Bumrah the “best bowler in the world." He even suggested that Bumrah’s technique was better than his and that the only way to stop the Indian pacer right now is by stealing his boots.

After beating the defending champions of the tournament England by 100 runs, India clashed against Sri Lanka on November 2 at the Wankhede Stadium.

Sri Lanka won the toss and decided to field first. They scalped an early wicket in the game, dismissing Indian skipper Rohit Sharma for four runs. Shubman Gill and Virat Kohli built a formidable 189-run partnership in the match to help India surpass the 350-run mark. In the second innings, Mohammed Shami and Mohammed Siraj scalped a combined eight wickets. This led to a historic 302-run win for India at the World Cup.

While India continues to be on a smooth journey in the tournament, Pakistan has encountered challenges in their recent matches. The 1992 World Cup champions began with back-to-back victories but faced several defeats in subsequent games, including losses to India, South Africa, Australia and Afghanistan. They recently returned to winning form with a statement seven-wicket victory over Bangladesh. It will be interesting to see whether the former champions can turn their fortunes around in the tournament to secure a spot in the playoffs.