Former India cricketer Irfan Pathan on Saturday hit back at Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif for a tweet related to the T20 World Cup that appeared to have a subtle jibe at India. Sharif had tweeted in the wake of India exiting the semi-final and England moving on to face Pakistan in the final after a 10-wicket win. Both Pakistan and England saw their openers perform spectacularly in 152 and 170-run partnerships, respectively.
“So, this Sunday, it’s: 152/0 vs 170/0,” PM Sharif wrote on Twitter. The tweet instantly created buzz and was widely covered by the media. Even Pakistan skipper Babar Azam was asked about the tweet and if it put added pressure on the team.
"No I don't think there's any added pressure, basically, sorry to say I haven't seen this tweet so far, and I have no knowledge of this, but there is no added pressure, we only try to give our best no matter the opposition," Babar was quoted to have said on the tweet.
The tweet from the Pakistan PM triggered some backlash from across the border. Irfan Pathan also sent across a befitting reply.
“Aap mein or hum mein fark yehi hai. Hum apni khushi se khush or aap dusre ke taklif se. Is liye khud ke mulk ko behtar karne pe dhyan nahi hai. (This is the difference between you and us. We are happy with our happiness and you are happy with other's problems. That's why there is no focus on improving one's own country.”, Pathan replied to Sharif’s tweet.