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‘It’s only a frikkin game’: Wasim Akram recalls helping Irfan Pathan before his anti-Pakistan posts

Legendary cricketer Wasim Akram urges fans to leave past conflicts behind when it comes to cricket. He emphasises that the India-Pakistan rivalry should be viewed simply as a sport. Reflecting on his mentorship of Irfan Pathan, who admired his bowling style, Akram noted Pathan's impressive hat-trick against Pakistan. Ultimately, he reminded everyone that victories and defeats are part of the…

‘It’s only a frikkin game’: Wasim Akram recalls helping Irfan Pathan before his anti-Pakistan posts

Former Pakistan cricket captain Wasim Akram has called on fans on both sides of the India-Pakistan divide to stop allowing the emotions of past conflicts to interfere with the sport they love. Speaking on the 1 Mint podcast, Akram reflected on his long-standing association with former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan, who was a huge admirer of Akram's bowling when the two first met in Australia in 2004.

Akram gave Pathan a few tips on his technique, but joked that Pathan now frequently posts anti-Pakistan comments on social media. "It's only a frikkin game," Akram said, emphasizing that cricket should be treated as a simple contest between two teams. Despite Pathan's continued criticism of Pakistan, Akram believes that fans from both nations are equally unwilling to ignore such remarks.

The Pakistani great hopes that the line between sporting competition and political or historical tensions remains clear.

Written by urgent.news from Yahoo Sports's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.

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