'We condemn such statements,' say Pakistani netizens as PCB chief insinuates India is 'dushman mulk'

Zaka Ashraf, the Chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Management Committee, has stirred a controversy by insinuating that India is a "dushman mulk" (enemy country). The comments, which he made while discussing the new contracts for players, come at a time when the Pakistani cricket team got a warm welcome in Hyderabad as they landed in India for the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023, which is set to commence on October 5.

In a video that went viral, Ashraf could be heard saying, "We have awarded these contracts to our players with immense love and affection. Never before in Pakistan's history has such a substantial amount been allocated to players. My objective was to ensure that our players' morale remains high as they travel to compete in countries, including the so-called 'enemy country'."

His comments didn't go well in both India and Pakistan and Ashraf has been slammed for his 'irresponsible' comments. 

"As Pakistanis, we condemn such statement that has been made by Zaka Ashraf. We genuinely appreciate the Indian fans for warmly welcoming our team. Cricket is a gentleman game. Love and peace across the border," said an X user., 

"Very indecent way of mentioning the host after the welcome last night. I am sure Zaka Ashraf is well aware of the warm reception our team got," said another X user. 

One Pakistani cricket fan, Tehseenqasim, expressed his disappointment on social media, stating, "Shame on PCB Chairman for labelling India as an 'enemy country' despite their warm reception. Zaka Ashraf is the real enemy of our team. Dear Indians, please do not take him seriously; he is merely a political pawn, which is why he was appointed chairman."

The central contracts stand-off between Pakistan Cricket Board and top national players ended on Wednesday after the parent body convinced top players to sign three-year deal with enhanced retainer and match fees.

The three-year deal will run from July 1, 2023 to June 30, 2026 with as many as 25 cricketers able to get a pie from the ICC revenue share.

The board said the players' match fees will also see a major hike: 50% increment in Test, 25% in ODI and 12.5% in T20I.

The PCB has also given a significant increase in monthly retainers to contracted players across all its four categories with the top A category players including captain, Babar Azam, Muhammad Rizwan and Shaheen Shah Afridi earning a 202% increase their monthly salary. This would be roughly around 4.5 million rupees with just a 10% tax deduction.

Pakistan play their opening warm-up game against New Zealand on September 29 before taking on Australia on October 3. They open their tournament campaign against Netherlands in Hyderabad before battling with Sri Lanka on October 10. The Pakistan players had got their Indian visas less than 48 hours before their scheduled travel. Both India and Pakistan only face each other Asia Cup and ICC events due to the tense relations between the two countries.

Only Mohammad Nawaz and Salman Ali Agha have visited India for cricket. Babar could not played the T20 World Cup in India in 2016 due to an injury.

With inputs from PTI