'Don't be surprised' - Former India cricketer slams Pakistani allrounder Mohammad Hafeez's conspiracy theory over Chennai pitch

Ahead of the marquee clash between India and Pakistan in the ODI World Cup 2023, former Pakistan all-rounder Mohammad Hafeez criticised the organisation of the event. Speaking about the pitch of the MA Chidambaram stadium in Chennai, Hafeez questioned the intentions behind the organisation of the event.

Speaking with a Pakistani news channel, PTV, he said, "At first, tomorrow the decision will be made whether the tournament is being organised by the Apex Cricket Council or the Indian Cricket Board Till now, there are three venues where two matches have been played: Hyderabad, Delhi, and Dharamsala. The pitch conditions were similar, and it behaved similarly in both games. If the pitch is the same in Chennai, which was used for India vs. Australia, then it’s understandable. But if there are slight changes, you can understand who is organising the tournament."

However, soon he received schooling from former India batter Aakash Chopra. Chopra busted his conspiracy theories and praised the Indian government. "Brother, the square in Chennai (and at many other stadia in India) has pitches made with different soil now. Red-black and mixed. As you know, pitches made with different soil components will play differently. Therefore, don’t be surprised if the pitches behave radically differently at the same venue throughout the World Cup,” said Chopra.

India to play at nine different venues

It's worth noting that according to the final schedule released by the Apex Cricket Council, India is the only country to play all nine matches at nine different venues. They have faced Australia in Chennai and Afghanistan in Delhi till now. On October 14, they will face arch-rival Pakistan at Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. Team India will be riding on confidence as star batter Shubman Gill is likely to make a comeback.

According to skipper Rohit Sharma, Gill is 99 per cent match-fit and likely to make his way into the playing Xi. However, he also said that the final decision would be made on Saturday morning. Meanwhile, Babar Azam-led Pakistan might feel some extra pressure. The team lost their last game against India in the Asia Cup by a huge margin and will be looking to register their first win against India in the World Cup.