Why did Mohammad Shami blast former Pakistani cricketer Hasan Raza?

Mohammad Shami is a man of few words but when he speaks, everybody listens. The Indian cricketer on Wednesday lambasted former Pakistani cricketer Hasan Raza for saying that Indian bowlers are being provided with different balls urging the ICC to inspect the balls used by the Indian side. 

What

• Raza, apart from repeating the allegations that different balls are provided to the players, also alleged DRS manipulation by the Indian team.
• “Jadeja picked up 5 wickets and finished with career-best figures. We were talking about technology where DRS was being taken.Van de Dussen was the batter and the ball was hitting the middle stump after pitching on the leg stump. How is that possible?” he asked.

  ICC Might Give Different Ball to Indian Bowlers thats why they are Getting Seam and Swing More Than Others.Ex Test Cricketer Hasan Raza.#CWC23 #INDvSL pic.twitter.com/7KCQoaz0Qs

  — Hasnain Liaquat (@iHasnainLiaquat) November 2, 2023

• He continued, “I am just sharing my opinion. I am just saying that such things should be checked. DRS is being manipulated and should be checked accordingly.”
• These allegations have become quite common in Pakistani newsrooms of late, given that Indian bowlers Mohammad Shami, Mohammad Siraj and Jasprit Bumrah are playing exceptionally well.

Shami reacts

• Mohammad Shami took to his Instagram story to post a strong reaction against these comments.
• “Sharm karo yaar game par focus karo na ki faltu bakwas par, kabhi to doosre ki success enjoy kiya karo chii yaar ICC World Cup hai apka local tournament nahi or aap player hi they na? Wasim bhai ne samjhaya tha explain kiya tha phir bhi hahahhaha..apne player Wasim Akram par yakin nahi aapko (Please have some shame. Focus on the game rather than talking rubbish. Learn to enjoy the success of others too. Don’t you believe what your own player Wasim Akram said),” Shami wrote in his Instagram story.
• Shami ended it all with 'just like a wow', the trend that has taken over social media.

• Wasim Akram had brushed off these allegations of the Pakistani media saying that it was not just embarrassing for the people who are raising these allegations but embarrassing for other cricketers too.
• Wasim had said, “I’ve been reading about this for the last two days. I want to have the same thing these guys are having, sounds like fun.”

  Wasim Akram explains how balls are picked by both teams for the match after former Pakistani player Hasan Raza accused the ICC and BCCI of picking different balls whenever India bowls.
  pic.twitter.com/SVddxAkDCB

  — Cricketopia (@CricketopiaCom) November 4, 2023

• The accusations of DRS favouring Indian players was once also raised by Pakistani cricketer Saeed Ajmal.
• Referring to the India vs Pakistan semi-final in 2011, Ajmal said that his dismissal of Sachin Tendulkar, which was upturned by DRS, would have been out had it been outside India.

What's next 

• In the World Cup tournament, India have qualified for the semi-finals while Pakistan has yet to win the last group-stage match against England on November 11, 2023.
• It will also need New Zealand to lose to Sri Lanka to make it to the fourth position on the points table.