IND Vs AFG: Asian Games Gold Medal Controversy, Afghanistan Pacer Says India Should Have Shared The Medal

Fareed Malik, the left-arm pacer serving as one of the traveling reserves in the Afghanistan World Cup squad, is still coming to terms with the outcome of the Asian Games final against India in Hangzhou.

Afghanistan found themselves in a challenging position, standing at 112 for five after being put into bat at the Zheijang University of Technology Cricket Field last Saturday. However, rain played spoilsport, rendering further play impossible. Consequently, India was awarded the gold medal due to their higher world ranking.

This no-result scenario meant that Afghanistan had to settle for silver, marking their third consecutive Asian Games silver medal following their achievements in 2010 and 2014. It’s worth noting that cricket was absent from the 2018 edition in Jakarta.

Fareed Malik, who boasts experience in 15 ODIs and 28 T20s during his Afghanistan career, played a significant role in the semi-final victory over Pakistan, delivering impressive figures of three wickets for 15 runs in three overs.

Reflecting on the unusual circumstances of the Asian Games final, Malik commented, “Aadha aadha kaat dena chaiye tha (laughs). The gold should have been shared as the game was abandoned. Awarding based on rankings, let’s just say it wasn’t ideal. Match hota to maza aata, (It would have been a lot of fun).”

Gulbadin Naib Also Joins The Afghanistan World Cup Squad

Sharing medals in multi-sport events isn’t unheard of. In the Tokyo Olympics, the legendary Italian high jumper Gianmarco Tamberi and Qatar’s Mutaz Barshim shared the gold after both cleared 2.37 meters. However, unlike the Asian Games cricket final, the weather did not impact their competition.

Malik, along with the 2019 World Cup team skipper Gulbadin Naib and Sharafuddin Ashraf, joined the Afghanistan team after their stint in China. During a recent practice session, Malik exhibited his full intensity in a practice match against the in-form Rahmanullah Gurbaz, putting pressure on the opening batsman.

Describing the experience of playing cricket in a non-cricketing nation like China, Malik shared, “It was nice, but the spectators in the stadium didn’t have much knowledge about the game. They applauded for everything, whether it was a dismissal or a six being hit.” Finding suitable food in China was a bit of a challenge, but Malik and his teammates managed to locate a Muslim restaurant nearby.

“Nahi toh masla ho jata (it could have been an issue),” he added, highlighting the importance of catering to their dietary requirements during their stay in China.

Afghanistan will now face India in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023. The match will be played at the Arun Jaitely Stadium in Delhi. The Afghanistan National Cricket Team has only won one match in World Cup history and they would do anything to get those numbers up.