Former Indian opener Virender Sehwag has sparked a controversy with his ‘Bye Bye Pakistan’ post on social media following New Zealand’s victory over Sri Lanka in the ongoing ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023. Sehwag’s post, which was widely shared and commented on, drew criticism from some for being insensitive and disrespectful towards Pakistan.
However, Sehwag defended his post, citing India’s consistent performance in the World Cup and Pakistan’s off-field provocations as justifications. In his post, Sehwag pointed out that India has qualified for the semi-finals of all 50-over World Cup events in the 21st century except for 2007, while Pakistan has only qualified once, in 2011.
Virender Sehwag also highlighted Pakistan’s off-field behavior, including their Prime Minister’s mockery of India’s defeat to another team, their player’s sarcastic post about enjoying tea in Hyderabad, and the PCB chief’s reference to India as ‘Dushman Mulk’ (enemy country).
Sehwag asserted that such behavior should not be tolerated and that Pakistan should expect a similar response. He also defended his ‘safe flight back home’ post, saying that it was simply a light-hearted remark.
In the 21st century there have been 6 ODI world cups.
In 6 attempts, only once in 2007 did we not qualify for the semi-finals and have qualified in 5 of the last 6 World cups. On the other hand only once have Pakistan qualified for the semis in 6 attempts in 2011.
And they come… pic.twitter.com/W7U67pBrFU— Virender Sehwag (@virendersehwag) November 11, 2023
Virender Sehwag’s comments reflect the intense cricketing rivalry between India and Pakistan. The two sides have a long history of on-field battles and off-field tensions, and their matches are always closely watched and highly anticipated.
In the context of the current World Cup, Pakistan’s chances of qualifying for the semi-finals are slim. They need an improbable victory against England in their final group-stage match to surpass New Zealand in the points table.
Pakistan Zindabhaag!
Have a safe flight back home . pic.twitter.com/7QKbLTE5NY— Virender Sehwag (@virendersehwag) November 10, 2023
Whether or not Pakistan manages to qualify, the rivalry between India and Pakistan is sure to continue, and Sehwag’s ‘Bye Bye Pakistan’ post is likely to be remembered as one of the more memorable moments of the 2023 World Cup.
