'Fans need to be a little calm' - Wasim Akram opens up about fans booing Hardik Pandya

Legendary Pakistan fast bowler, Wasim Akram, has made a fervent plea to cricket enthusiasts, urging them to cease the incessant booing of Hardik Pandya at stadiums. Akram believes that while criticism is acceptable, the relentless booing has spiralled out of control this season, warranting a call for restraint from fans.

Pandya's controversial move from the Gujarat Titans to the Mumbai Indians (MI) ahead of IPL 2024, coupled with reports of a captaincy clause in his contract, has fuelled fan discontent. MI's decision to anoint Pandya as skipper, supplanting Rohit Sharma, the current captain of the Indian team, has stirred further unrest among supporters. The team's lacklustre performance in the ongoing IPL season has only exacerbated the situation.

Speaking on Sportskeeda Cricket's Match Ki Baat show, Akram emphasized the need for composure among fans, highlighting the counterproductive nature of incessant booing.

“This is the problem in India, Pakistan and Bangladesh. We never forget. We tell our kids that when Pandya's kid is born, you have to remind him why he became captain 20 years ago. We don't move on. I think fans need to be a little calm. At the end of the day, he is your player. He plays for Mumbai Indians, and he is the one who can make you win. There is no point booing your own player. You can criticize a little bit, but move on,” the legendary cricketer said.

In franchise cricket, such things happen: Akram

The 1992 World Cup winner compared Australia's sports culture, highlighting how fans quickly move on from setbacks. He emphasized that such occurrences are common in franchise cricket and called for a more forgiving approach towards players. Furthermore, Akram questioned MI's decision to replace Rohit Sharma with Pandya as captain, suggesting that the franchise could have exercised patience before effecting such a significant change.

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“In franchise cricket, such things happen. Look at how CSK took the captaincy decision for the long run, and maybe, even they (MI) had the same idea. This was not a personal decision, but in my view, Rohit Sharma should have continued as captain for one more year. Perhaps, next year, Hardik Pandya could have been the captain,” Wasim Akram opined.

With MI languishing in seventh place in the IPL 2024 points table, the spotlight now falls on Pandya's leadership abilities as he endeavours to steer the team towards a potential playoff berth.