E-Paper
Sign in
T20 World Cup: 'What happened in 2019 should not happen' - Rashid Khan pleads for peaceful Afghanistan, Pakistan clash
The 2019 World Cup match between the two teams ended in violence with fans from both countries clashing both inside and outside the stadium.
The stage is set for another cricket rivalry to take the stage at the T20 World Cup as Pakistan face off against Afghanistan. The 2019 World Cup match between the two teams ended in violence with fans from both countries clashing both inside and outside the stadium.
Afghanistan had lost the match by a big margin at a packed Headingley stadium in Leeds, and due to the violent scuffles, players were escorted by security guards out of the stadium after the match.
But ahead of the match on Friday, Afghanistan star spinner Rashid Khan has called for peace among fans.
Speaking at a pre-match press conference, Rashid requested the fans to enjoy the match and let it remain a game of cricket.
"Definitely it's always a good game against Pakistan, but this should remain as a game," Rashid said Thursday.
"I request all the fans to stay cool and calm and just enjoy the game. What happened in the 2019 match should not have happened," he added.
"We have only the World Cup in mind, we're playing five games and we need to win three games," said the 23-year-old.
"We don't think about what's happening. We don't think about what happened in the past. That is something which is not in our hands, it is not in our control.
"We shouldn't think about it, we don't want extra pressure on us. As a team, we're just focusing on this World Cup to get better and better," he signed off.
