Pakistan former cricketer Shoaib Akhtar lost his cool and ‘quit’ PTV show on T20 Cricket World Cup after disagreement with the show host Nauman Niaz after the latter cut him off a few times and even called him rude.
The show was being hosted after the Pakistan vs New Zealand match where Pakistan won.
Akhtar was discussing Pakistani players’ performance against New Zealand and was asked whether the players made a mess in the chase against New Zealand. Akhtar, however, did not agree with the assessment and discussed other players like Haris Rauf and heap praises on Lahore Qalandar, Pakistan Super League franchise coach Aaqib.
At one point, Niaz lost his cool after Shoaib taunted over players and asked Shoaib to leave the show ‘if he is being over-smart’ instead as he was being rude. When Shoaib tried to respond, Niaz again cut him off and announced commercial break even when a visibly angry Akhtar was speaking.
After the break, Niaz asked Shoaib to finish what he had begun. Akhtar, then, after a long pause, bickered a little more ‘politely’ with Niaz who maintained his composure and ignored Akhtar even further. At around 3:30 into the video, however, Akhtar apologises and ‘resigned’ from PTV as an analyst, took off his mic even as Niaz, without batting an eyelid, continued with his show as if nothing happened.
After clips of the show went viral on social media, Shoaib Akhtar took to Twitter to clarify what transpired.
Multiple clips are circulating on social media so I thought I shud clarify. pic.twitter.com/ob8cnbvf90
— Shoaib Akhtar (@shoaib100mph) October 26, 2021
Akhtar clarified that Niaz was being obnoxious and asked him to leave. He mentions how Niaz insulted a ‘national star’ (referring to himself) on national tv in front of superstars and foreigners on the show and how it would send a bad message. Hence, he said that he later claimed it was a joke that he was leaving the show but asked him to say sorry to him on air. But since Niaz did not say sorry, he left the show.
He even tweeted that he tried to save face in front of cricketing legends like Sir Vivian Richards and David Gower who were sitting on the set but Nauman did not bugde, he said.
