‘I don’t care’- Sahibzada Farhan on ‘firing-gun’ gesture vs India:Batter defends controversial celebration; Pakistan file official protest against Fakhar’s dismissal

Pakistan batter Sahibzada Farhan broke his silence on the firing-gun’ gesture that sparked a storm during the India clash in the Asia Cup Super 4 on Sunday (September 21). The 29-year-old, who scored 58 off 45 balls before falling to Shivam Dube, said he celebrated the way he wanted and was not bothered by outside criticism. I felt like celebrating and I did it: Farhan “I don’t care how people take it. It was just a moment, I felt like celebrating and I did it. I don’t usually celebrate after a fifty but this time I thought of trying something,” Farhan said at a press conference ahead of their match against Also Read | Pakistani TV panellist suggests ‘firing bullets’ to avoid defeat against India The opener added that aggressive cricket should be played against every side, not just India. He also reflected on Pakistan’s need to improve their powerplay batting. “In the last few games, we were losing wickets early. Today we managed to score 90 runs in the first 10 overs. We did collapse in the middle but will look to rectify that,” he added. Pakistan lodge official protest over Fakhar Zaman’s dismissal Pakistan’s team management has lodged an official protest over Fakhar Zaman’s dismissal during, according to a report by Samaa TV cited by news agency ANI. The side has questioned the decision-making process of the third umpire, alleging that he did not examine all available angles before declaring the batter out. Fakhar scored three boundaries in his nine-ball stay before falling to Hardik Pandya. Wicketkeeper Sanju Samson claimed a low catch which the third umpire deemed out. Pakistan find themselves in a must-win scenario The Men in Green find themselves in a must-win scenario after a defeat in the Super Fours contest against India. Not only do they need to win against Sri Lanka but they also have to beat Bangladesh if they want to keep their destiny in their own hands. Asia Cup Super Fours Points Table A defeat in a single match would mean Pakistan would have to rely on the results of other matches to stay in contention for a place in the final.