Former Pakistani cricketer Sikander Bakht is the latest to level baseless accusations against Indian skipper Rohit Sharma after he alleged that Sharma manipulated the toss during the semi-final against New Zealand by intentionally tossing the coin out of reach, preventing the opposing captain from verifying the result. Bakht, known for his candid views, brought up a conspiracy theory on Geo News, suggesting that Sharma's method of coin tossing could be an intentional tactic to gain an unfair edge in matches.
The reactions within the Indian cricket fraternity have been diverse, with Irfan Pathan publicly berating Bakht's conspiracy theory.
Irfan Pathan, a former Indian all-rounder known for his straightforward opinions, also weighed in on the controversy. He dismissed Bakht's allegations as an attention-seeking ploy aimed at tarnishing Indian cricket's reputation. Pathan's response was, "It's called blame Indian cricket and get famous."
Another to share his discontent was Aakash Chopra, who chose to address Bakht's claims with a cryptic remark,"Growing old is mandatory, growing up is optional."
After the match, Bakht suggested that Rohit's habit of tossing the coin a significant distance could potentially obstruct the opposing captain from clearly observing the outcome. This theory implies that such a technique might sway the results in favour of India, providing a notable advantage given the crucial role of the toss in cricket.
"Can I engage in mischief? I am posing a question: if we could show you what happens during the toss. When Rohit Sharma tosses, he throws the coin far away, and the opposing captain never goes to check whether he correctly called it," Bakht was quoted as saying.
The discussion arose after India's semi-final triumph against New Zealand, during which Sharma won the toss and opted to bat first on a batting-friendly pitch. India's strong performance and significant win in the match further fueled Bakht's speculative assertions.
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