'Doing things for social media': Ex-Pak player slams Ayub for Sooryavanshi send-off
Former Pakistan cricketer Kamran Akmal has criticized Saim Ayub for his 'baby cradle' send-off gesture toward 15-year-old Indian batter Vaibhav Sooryavanshi during the Asian Games cricket final. Akmal argued that such behavior is unprofessional and driven by a desire for social media attention rather than focus on the game.
Why it matters
The incident highlights ongoing tensions regarding sportsmanship and the influence of social media culture on the behavior of young professional athletes in international competition.
India beat Pakistan by 19 runs in the Asian Games men’s cricket final on Saturday, but the match was much closer than the final score suggests. Pakistan, led by Sahibzada Farhan, pushed India hard, with Hasan Nawaz scoring 96.India eventually held its nerve in the final overs through Jasprit Bumrah and Shivam Dube to retain the gold medal.The match also saw controversy when Pakistan all-rounder Saim Ayub dismissed 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi for 15 off nine balls.After taking the wicket, Ayub appeared to make a ‘baby cradle’ gesture, which was seen as a send-off directed at the young Indian batter. Sooryavanshi did not react and simply returned to the dugout.Kamran Akmal criticises Saim AyubFormer Pakistan wicketkeeper-batter Kamran Akmal criticised Ayub’s celebration during a discussion on the ‘Game Plan’ YouTube show.The presenter questioned the gesture and said, “Did you see that action? How unfortunate is that?
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in