Cricket World Cup 2023: Ex-PAK Cricketer Raises Doubts Over Rohit Sharma's Toss Flipping Technique, Seeks Explanation From BCCI

After Hasan Raza, another former Pakistan cricketer has come up with a conspiracy theory, this time around the coin toss. Sikander Bakht feels there is some foul play at work when Rohit flips the coin.

Sikander Bakht sees foul play in Rohit's toss flipping style. (Image: X/ANI)

The Cricket World Cup 2023 has seen many conspiracy theories take berth during its course. Most of them are born in Pakistan. Former Pakistan cricketer Hasan Raza had earlier raised doubts over India getting a different set of cricket balls to bowl whic helps them pick wickets early in the powerplay. He was ridiculed in his own country for such baseless allegations as well as in India and elsewhere. Ex-Pakistan captain Wasim Akram, one of the legends of the sport, had requested the likes of Raza without taking his name to not embarrass the whole of Pakistan by such statements.

Mohammed Shami, India's best pacer in the World Cup, had also slammed Raza in his Instagram Story, asking Raza to at least listen to the likes of Akram, who comes from his own country and have some cricketing sense in his analysis of the game. 

These theories still remain afloat on social media and before it dies down, a new one was born. Some Pakistan fan started posting videos of how India captain Rohit Sharma flips the coins. The video shows that when Rohit flips the coin, it falls far from the captains and the match referee. The accusation from the Pakistan fans is that Rohit does it on purpose to ensure the opposition captain does not get to see on what side has coin landed. And that it becomes easy for referee  to favour India too. 

Sikander Bakht, who has played 26 Tests and 27 ODIs for Pakistan, raised doubts over the toss while speaking on on Geo News. He made a post on social media website X (formerly Twitter) which read as: "Very strange the way Rohit Sharma throw the coin at toss, far away, don’t let other Captains to see, compare to other Captains in the WC , any reason?" He also tagged BCCI in his post on X to seek an explanation.

Very strange the way Rohit Sharma throw the coin at toss, far away, don't let other Captains to see, compare to other Captains in the WC , any reason?? @BCCI @TheRealPCB @CricketAus @CricketSouthAfrica #sikanderbakht #WorldCup23 #IndiaVsNewZealand @ImRo45 @ICC pic.twitter.com/KxhR2QyUZm

— Sikander Bakht (@Sikanderbakhts) November 15, 2023

It is also true that on not all occasions has Rohit won the toss despite him flipping the coin. It is just Rohit's style of doing the toss. At the start of making his point over the toss, Sikander also tells the show host (as seen in video above) that he wants to do a 'shararat', an urdu word for mischief. Clearly, Bakht also know he is giving more good television to the audiences than great insights. 

Earlier, former Pakistan captain Mohammad Hafeez had also spoken on a Pakistan TV channel during the World Cup that the spidercam at the ground should be used to show the toss. He said that he is not doubting anyone but the result of the coin toss should be shown to the whole world for more transparency.