The Asia Cup 2023, which will take place in Pakistan and Sri Lanka from August 31 to September 17, is eagerly anticipated by cricket lovers. The One-Day International (ODI) format will be used this year, and the continental competition will aid all five Asian nations in getting ready for the World Cup 2023, which will take place in India in October and November. Cricket fans anticipate that this year’s Asia Cup will feature high-caliber cricket. This year, spectators may also see sledging, mind games, and banter. On-field arguments have occurred during tough India-Pakistan matches in the past, but in recent years, a rivalry between Pakistan and Afghanistan has also emerged as a result of aggressive cricket and arguments between players on both teams.
Here are the five most heated moments in Asia Cup history
1. Hasan Ali vs Hashmatullah Shahidi in 2018
In the opening game of the Super Four phase of the 2018 Asia Cup in Abu Dhabi, Pakistan faced off against Afghanistan. Afghanistan scored 257 runs after choosing to bat first after winning the toss. Afghanistan’s top-order hitters had a poor start because they fell short of expectations.
To help Afghanistan gain control, Hashamatullah Shahidi and Asghar Afghan took matters into their own hands and played some solid shots. The Pakistani bowlers were aggravated by Shahidi, who was playing decently with the bat. Shahidi was bowled by Pakistani pacer Hasan Ali in the 33rd over of Afghanistan’s innings, and the Afghan batsman returned the ball to Hasan.
After getting the ball, the Pakistani pacer showed anger by threatening to throw the ball in Shahidi’s direction. Pakistan comfortably defeated their opponent by three wickets, although Hasan was fined for violating Level 1 of the ICC (International Cricket Council) Code of Conduct.
2. Asghar Afghan vs Hasan Ali in 2018
Hasan Ali and Asghar Afghan, the Afghanistan captain, engaged in a faceoff during the 2018 Asia Cup match between Pakistan and Afghanistan. Asghar and his teammate Shahidi took the Pakistani bowling unit to task after three wickets fell, stepping up to the plate.
Asghar, the team’s captain, played aggressive cricket to keep Afghanistan’s innings steady. Asghar, on the other hand, gave Hasan Ali a harsh response for his attempt to frighten Shahidi in the 33rd over. Asghar briefly touched shoulders with the Pakistani pacer while grabbing a run after four overs of Hasan’s altercation with Shahidi.
For breaking Level 1 of the ICC Code of Conduct, Asghar was required to pay 15% of his match money after the game. In addition to him, the Pakistani sprinter also paid a comparable sum for transgressing the code of conduct.
3. Asif Ali vs Fareed Ahmed in 2022
Cricket fans once again watched a compelling match when Afghanistan and Pakistan squared off in the Asia Cup 2022. Pakistan chose to bat first at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium after winning the toss. Afghanistan could only score 129 runs in their 20 overs thanks to Pakistani captain Babar Azam’s wise move.
Pakistan failed to accumulate runs quickly after the total and lacked confidence as a result. When only Naseem Shah and Mohammad Hasnain were at the crease for the final two overs of the game, all of Pakistan’s key batters had returned to the pavilion.
Fareed Ahmed bowled Asif Ali, the final Pakistani hitter to be struck out throughout the contest. After Asif Ali was dismissed, the Pakistani hitter and Fareed got into a violent argument, and the former appeared to be preparing to strike the latter with his bat. This terrible episode was witnessed by the crowd.
But officials and other Afghan players stepped in to help calm both guys down and contain the situation. In the end, Pakistan won the match handily thanks to Naseem Shah’s two sixes against Fazalhaq Farooqi. The two players’ altercation had a bad effect on the stadium spectators of both sides, who also became embroiled in a violent altercation. Following the game, fans of both clubs were spotted hurling chairs and other objects at one another.
4. Shoaib Akhtar vs Harbhajan Singh in 2010
Shoaib Akhtar, a former Pakistani speedster, was well-known for his impressive speed in the 1990s and 2000s. He used to strike dread into the batters’ hearts with his lightning-quick pace. He was also renowned for engaging in tense fights with rivals, too.
At the Asia Cup at Dambulla in 2010, India and Pakistan played each other. The latter team needed to win the game in order to advance to the final and stay in the competition. After winning the toss and choosing to bat first, Pakistan amassed a respectable total of 267 runs in their 50 overs.
Gautam Gambhir and captain MS Dhoni’s half-centuries let India confidently pursue the mark. Harbhajan Singh and Shoaib Akhtar were squaring up in the match’s penultimate over. The Pakistani legend and Harbhajan argued after bouncers from Akhtar in the final two deliveries of the over. Both players continued to argue verbally till the game’s conclusion as Harbhajan furiously celebrated after leading India to a three-wicket victory.
5. Gautam Gambhir vs Kamran Akmal in 2010
Before the Harbhajan-Akhtar altercation in the 2010 India-Pakistan game, there was another brawl. The game’s opening batsman for India, Gautam Gambhir, and Pakistan’s wicketkeeper, Kamran Akmal, got into a heated argument earlier. In his 34th over of bowling, Saeed Ajmal asked Billy Bowden, the umpire, to rule on a caught-behind appeal.
Gambhir survived at the crease because Bowden ignored Ajmal’s appeal. Gambhir, though, appeared to be quite irritated with Akmal because of the latter’s loud appeal. Following the altercation, there was a drink break, and Akmal and Gambhir were both spotted yelling at one another.
After the umpires and India captain MS Dhoni intervened, the matter was resolved. By the end of the day, India had won the match by three wickets, and Gambhir had contributed 83 (97) to the team in this dazzling victory. Due to his outstanding batting, the southpaw also won Player of the Match.
India
