(Source Crictoday)
Former Indian cricketer Suresh Raina has removed the tweet where he taunted his former counterpart Shahid Afridi over losing the 2011 Cricket World Cup semi-final.
During the entirety of the IPL 2024 season, Suresh Raina served as a member of Jio Cinema’s Hindi commentary team. He engaged in a dispute with a Pakistani journalist, during which he posted the tweet on X (formerly Twitter). However, Raina deleted the tweet following a reported phone conversation with none other than Shahid Afridi himself.
Raina mocked Afridi on social media, then deleted tweet after Afridi’s plea.
The sequence of events commenced on May 24th when the International Cricket Council announced the appointment of former Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi as the ambassador for the T20 World Cup 2024. Afridi joined esteemed personalities such as former India all-rounder Yuvraj Singh, West Indies legend Chris Gayle, and multiple-time Olympic gold medalist Usain Bolt in this role.
With Shahid Afridi becoming the latest ambassador of the T20 WC for the first time, a Pakistani Journalist decided to take a dig towards Suresh Raina. The Journalist took to X and wrote, “ICC has named Shahid Afridi as an ambassador for ICC T20 World Cup 2024. Hello Suresh Raina.”
The journalist singled out Suresh Raina, likely for a specific reason. Raina, engaged in IPL 2024 commentary, took a harsh jab at Shahid Afridi during a match.
Raina’s co-commentator had jokingly asked him to take his retirement back and start playing cricket again. To that, Raina replied that he is not Shahid Afridi, who takes a U-turn on his retirement decision but he is Suresh Raina, who lives up to his commitment. “I am Suresh Raina, not Shahid Afridi.”
The comment stirred debates online, prompting the Pakistani journalist to remind Raina that Afridi, not Raina, was appointed the World Cup ambassador. Raina responded by retweeting, asserting his satisfaction with the 2011 Cricket World Cup victory over Pakistan.
“I’m not an ICC ambassador, but I have the 2011 World Cup at my house. Remember the game at Mohali? Hope it brings back some unforgettable memories for you.” – Sures Raina wrote in the deleted X post.
Why did Suresh Raina delete the Tweet?
Following a discussion with Shahid Afridi, Suresh Raina decided to remove the post from X. Afridi revealed this during a recent YouTube video, mentioning that such playful exchanges are acceptable. Afridi reached out to Raina, who, understanding the situation like a brother, complied with Afridi’s request to delete the tweet. Raina affirmed that all was well between him and the former Indian cricketer.
“Sometimes, lighthearted banter happens. After seeing his post on social media, I spoke with him, and he understood the situation like a younger brother. He agreed to delete the tweet. It’s all good; these things happen. Great individuals acknowledge and rectify their mistakes.” – Shahid Afridi said on his latest YouTube video.
