Former Pakistan skipper Waqar Younis' comment on Mohammad Rizwan offering namaz during the drinks break in the India-Pakistan game in the ICC T20 World Cup on Sunday has sparked a controversy.


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While cricket fans across both nations have lauded Pakistan's dominant performance, former pacer Waqar finding joy in something beyond cricket has left fans unimpressed.


"The manner in which Babar and Rizwan batted, the strike-rotation, the look on their faces, it was amazing. The best thing, what Rizwan did, Mashalla, he offered the Namaz on the ground surrounded by Hindus, that was really something very special for me," said Waqar on ARY News.


Watch the video here:



Notably, the shocking statement didn’t go down well with former cricketers as well as Pakistan fans as they asked Waqar to apologise for his derogatory remarks.


Former India cricket Aakash Chopra was unimpressed with Waqar's remarks. "Et tu, Waqar!" Chopra tweeted.



Cricket commentator Harsha Bhogle took to Twitter and wrote, “For a person of Waqar Younis' stature to say that watching Rizwan offering namaz in front of Hindus was very special to him, is one of the most disappointing things I have heard. A lot of us try hard to play such things down and talk up sport and to hear this is terrible.”



One of the fans of the Pakistan cricket team also criticised the former pacer Waqar following his remarks.


"Yaaar Waqar lanat yaaar. Why would you say that," the fan tweeted.


Another Twitter user asked Waqar to issue an apology and termed his statement "pathetic".


"Waqar should issue an apology, maybe do it in post-match show today, that statement was pathetic," the user tweeted.


Mohammad Rizwan and skipper Babar Azam put on a remarkable show on Sunday as Pakistan thrashed India by 10 wickets at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.


Rizwan (79*) and Babar (68*) didn't give any chance to Indian bowlers to come on top as the two batsmen dominated the proceedings. Pakistan chased down the target of 152 without losing a wicket as India looked clueless in their opening match.


This was the first time that India has lost a T20I by ten wickets. Coincidentally, this was also the first time that Pakistan has won a T20I by ten wickets. Shaheen Afridi was adjudged as Player of the Game after a three-wicket haul.