In the intriguing world of cricket controversies, one incident that echoed across borders was the infamous Burger-gate scandal during the ICC ODI World Cup 2019. Pakistan faced severe criticism after their defeat against India, with fans accusing the players of neglecting their fitness.
The heart of the matter lies in Pakistan’s substantial loss to India in the ICC ODI World Cup 2019, a match that etched itself into the memory of cricket enthusiasts. Pakistan, facing a daunting target set by India, succumbed to an 89-run defeat.
Post the defeat, social media platforms were flooded with videos of fans expressing their discontent, with one video particularly accusing the players, including Imam-ul-Haq, of consuming burgers during the tournament. The criticism took a viral turn, sparking debates and raising eyebrows.
In a recent episode of the podcast show ‘Honest Hour,’ Imam-ul-Haq took the opportunity to unveil the story behind the Burger-gate scandal. His revelations shed light on the innocent intentions misconstrued amid the social media frenzy.
“During the 2019 World Cup, we lost the match to India, and accusations were made about Babar, Sarfaraz, Shoaib Malik and me that we were drinking and eating burgers. I remember Momin Saqib creating a video saying we’re eating burgers,” Imam-ul-Haq said.
Imam-ul-Haq disclosed that the much-maligned burgers were not for the players but for the three little daughters of the then-bowling coach, Azhar Mahmood. After an exhaustive training session, the left-handed batter clarified that he and Hasan Ali, Mahmood, and his daughters bought the burgers in Manchester.
Imam-ul-Haq shed light on the circumstances leading to the burger episode, stating that he and Hasan Ali were exhausted after intense training ahead of the high-stakes India game. In this state of fatigue, they decided to treat Mahmood’s children to burgers.
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“Hasan Ali and I were in Manchester and had gotten tired after training ahead of the India game. We had our then-bowling coach, Azhar Mahmood, and his three little daughters with us. Nobody knows that the burgers were purchased for those three little kids, not us. And they’re kids, so we can’t tell them to buy it independently. So we took the burgers for them, and they eat it,” the left-handed batter added.
Revisiting the India-Pakistan clash in the ICC ODI World Cup 2019, India posted a formidable total of 365-5 in 50 overs. Rohit Sharma’s stellar century (140) and Virat Kohli’s contribution of 77 runs set the tone.
In response, Pakistan managed only 212-6 in 40 overs, falling short of the revised target due to rain and eventually losing by the DLS method. Vijay Shankar, Kuldeep Yadav, and Hardik Pandya claimed crucial wickets for India.
The defeat against India marked a turning point in Pakistan’s World Cup journey. They finished in the 5th spot in the points table, failing to secure a spot in the semi-finals. Despite topping the table, India faced a heartbreaking loss in the semi-final against New Zealand.
