Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Abdul Qadir Patel on Saturday took a dig at his country's men's cricket team after their poor performances in the ICC T20 World Cup 2024.
Babar Azam-led Pakistan crashed out of the tournament in the group stage after losing against co-hosts USA and India earlier this month.
This was the second time in succession that Pakistan failed to reach the knockouts of the World Cup after their league exit in the 2023 ODI tournament held in India.
Pak Politicians join the bandwagon of criticisers
The squad has been hit with heavy criticism from supporters, ex-players, and now political figures. Patel added his voice to the criticism with a sarcastic recommendation for Babar Azam.
He suggested Babar should allege a plot against him, compose a letter detailing it, and then announce the letter has gone missing, referencing the cipher case involving former PM Imran Khan, the imprisoned head of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf.
"Babar Azam ko chahiye jalsa rakhe aur kaghaz lehra kar bole mere khilaf saazish huyi hai," Patel said in the Pakistani National Assembly.
Patel later clarified that his remarks were made in jest and shouldn't be taken seriously.
Babar & Co yet to return home
Babar Azam is yet to return home to Pakistan after his team's premature departure from the World Cup in USA. Babar went to holiday in London with 5 other teammates including Mohammad Amir and Azam Khan while the rest stayed back in America.
Only a handful of players like Naseem Shah and Usman Khan had the courage to come back home from the World Cup.
