Sufiyan Muqeem Criticized for On-Field Spat With Abhishek Sharma

Former Pakistan cricketer Basit Ali has voiced his disapproval of young Shaheens’ bowler Sufiyan Muqeem following his heated altercation with India A’s Abhishek Sharma during their side’s match in the ACC Men’s T20 Emerging Teams Asia Cup 2024.

The incident occurred in the 7th over during a high-stakes match at Al Amerat.

Muqeem dismissed Sharma, who had been in fine form, scoring 35 runs off 22 balls and upon taking the wicket, Muqeem celebrated with a “silence gesture” aimed at the Indian opener, which escalated into a verbal confrontation between the two. Umpires Chamara de Zoysa and Rahul Asher were forced to step in and separate the players, defusing the tension.

Basit Ali, addressing the situation on his YouTube channel, expressed his disappointment with Muqeem’s behavior, stressing the importance of sportsmanship, particularly for young cricketers at the start of their careers. The 18-year-old spinner’s actions drew a sharp rebuke from the former cricketer, who reminded Muqeem that he has yet to fully establish himself in international cricket.

“The cricket was top-class, but one thing that really upset me was the incident involving Sufiyan Muqeem and Abhishek Sharma,” Basit said. “If I were sitting in the dugout or the team manager, I would have told Sufiyan, ‘Son, pick up your things and go back.’ You haven’t even played proper cricket for Pakistan yet, and you’re already using abusive language. What kind of behavior is this?”

Sharma would get the last laugh as India A ultimately secured a 7-run victory in the high-stakes encounter.

Sufiyan Muqeem and Pakistan would look to bounce back against Oman in their second game.