ICC Champions Trophy 2017: Sarfraz Ahmed's uncle says India will bounce back

Mehboob Hasan is the Pakistan skipper’s maternal uncle

What’s the story?

Mehboob Hasan, who lives in the city of Etawah in Uttar Pradesh, has come out in support of the Indian team following their crushing loss against Pakistan in the final of the ICC Champions Trophy. Sarfraz Ahmed’s uncle, who has always been a staunch Indian supporter, said that he was praying all day for India to triumph over his nephew’s team on Sunday.

“It (the loss) will only boost the morale of Indian squad as this is not the end of the world and the team India would definitely make a comeback," he stated.

He also added that Pakitan might be led by sister’s son, but his nation will always come first for him and his family.

Also read: Sarfraz Ahmed’s uncle roots for India

In case you didn’t know...

Ahmed’s mother, who was born in India, moved to Karachi after her marriage. She is still in close contact with her brother and stays in touch with him through video calls. The Pakistan skipper has met his maternal uncle just three times but is still very attached to him.

Hasan was extremely confident of India’s victory in the final and even went on to say that the current Pakistan team is no match for Team India. Pakistan, however, ended up defeating the defending champions by a gargantuan margin of 180-runs and outplayed their arch-rivals in all three aspects of the game.

The details

LONDON, ENGLAND - JUNE 18:  Hardik Pandya of India swings his bat in frustration after being run out during the ICC Champions trophy cricket match between India and Pakistan at The Oval in London on June 18, 2017  (Photo by Clive Rose/Getty Images)
Hardik Pandya was creaming the ball yesterday before getting run-out for 76 off 43 balls

The man from Etawah praised Hardik Pandya for his sensational knock of 76 off 43 balls and expressed disappointment over his unfortunate run-out. He applauded the 23-year-old for playing proper cricket in such testing and high-pressure circumstances.

He is sure that Virat Kohli’s team will make a thumping comeback but feels that it is unfortunate that his nation wasn’t able to defend the title.

Also read: World reacts to Pakistan’s victory against India

What’s next?

Hasan would hope that India wipe off the memories of this loss quickly and pull up their socks for the upcoming West Indies tour. He will also hope that his nephew continues to lead with vigour and boldness to guide Pakistan cricket to brighter days in the future.

Author’s take

It is heart-warming to see the man staying firmly by his nation’s side in spite of the thumping loss in the final. The fact that he could put his conflict-of-interest aside shows that he is a true follower of the Indian Cricket Team and is sure to support them through all such situations in the future.

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