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Stokes hits back at former Pakistan cricketer over 2019 World Cup controversy

All-rounder was baffled by India’s World Cup loss which hampered Pakistan’s qualification

Stokes hits back at former Pakistan cricketer over 2019 World Cup controversy PHOTO: AFP

England’s star all-rounder Ben Stokes had questioned India’s approach, with the bat, during the 2019 World Cup match between the two sides which led to great hue and cry on conventional and digital media over the past couple of days.  

Stokes had published a book titled ‘On Fire‘ where he talks about all the matches played by the England team during their triumphant World Cup campaign.

Former Pakistan cricketer Sikandar Bakht also joined the conversation by sharing an old video with a caption that claimed India had lost the match deliberately according to Stokes.

“Ben Stokes writes in his book that India lost to England deliberately to remove Pakistan from World Cup 2019,” said Bakht.

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This clearly did not go down well with Stokes, who quoted the tweet of a user who pointed out Bakht’s tweet, saying that these remarks can only be considered as ‘twisting of words’ or ‘click bait’.

 

You won’t find it cause I have never said it... it’s called “twisting of words” or “click bait” 🤷‍♂️ https://t.co/uIUYXVaxLB

— Ben Stokes (@benstokes38) May 28, 2020

 

According to flamboyant cricketer, the way opener Rohit Sharma and captain Virat Kohli played was mystifying while also saying that wicketkeeper-batsman MS Dhoni showed no intent of winning the game. But he never said that the Men in Blue deliberately lost the game.

Sharma hit 102 but India fell short of their 338-run target in 31-run loss at Edgbaston.

Kohli's side looked capable of making a record World Cup run chase at 198 for two from 36 overs, only to lose the plot in the last 10 overs.

It must be noted that if India had defeated England, it would have increased Pakistan’s chances of going into the event’s semi-finals.