'Better to Spread Message of Love': Shahid Afridi Responds to Gautam Gambhir's 'Leave Friendship Outside the Boundary' Remark

Gautam Gambhir didn't like how friendly India and Pakistan players were on the field during their recent Asia Cup 2023 group meeting. He told them to forget about their friendship while the game was going on.

A lot of people shared videos on social media of players from both teams in Pallekele meeting each other during a training practise before the much-anticipated match between the two teams.

Gambhir doesn't seem to mind if the other team makes friends, but he doesn't think it's necessary when they're competing against each other on the pitch.

"When you play on the pitch for your country's team, you can't be friends with the other players. Game face is important. Let's be friends again. (You need to put on a game face. The friendship can stay on the outside while the game is going on). Both teams have to play with a sense of drive. "After six or seven hours of cricket, you can be as friendly as you want," Gambhir had said.

"Those hours are very important because you are speaking for more than a billion people, not just yourself. During a game, players from opposing teams often pat each other on the back and give each other fist bumps. A few years ago, you would never have seen that. He also said, "You should play a friendly match."

Shahid Afridi, a former all-rounder for Pakistan, is happy with how the players have treated each other. He thinks that cricket is the only way for ties between India and Pakistan to get better.

"It's a very good thing, and I've always thought of it that way. In addition to being cricket players, we are also representatives of our countries. Afridi recently told Pakistani media that cricket is the only way for ties between India and Pakistan to get better. Politics have no place in cricket, he said.

He also disagrees with Gambhir's idea that players shouldn't be friends during a match.

"That's what he thinks, but I think differently. We are both cricket players and representatives, and people from all over the world wish us well. Spreading messages of love is better. "Being aggressive is fine, but you also have a life outside of the field," Afridi said.

The first time these two teams played, there was no winner because it rained, and it looks like it will also rain on the day of their Super Four matchup later this week.