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By APD writer Muhammad Sohail
**ISLAMABAD, Nov. 3 (APD) ** -- Pakistan’s cricket team captain Sarfraz Ahmed has rubbished claims made by the Sri Lankan skipper Dinesh Chandimal that the Islanders won the recent two-match Test series against Pakistan in the United Arab Emirates with the help of witchcraft, local media reported on Friday.
Talking to local Urdu TV Channel on Thursday evening, Ahmed said that they lost the two Test matches due to poor batting and nothing else.
“We lost the two Tests because of our poor batting and that is all. If they could win Test matches due to witchcraft or magic, then why they could not win One-day International series and Twenty20 series,” said the Pakistani captain.
Pakistan lost two matches against Sri Lankan in the UAE, but thrashed Sri Lanka in next eight matches, including five ODI and three T20 matches last month.
Chandimal, after returning to Sri Lanka, claimed before media that he had received a special blessing from a meyni, or enchanter, ahead of the Test series against Pakistan.
"I am always ready to accept the blessings of anyone, whether it is a meyni or any clergy. You can have talent, but without this blessing, you can't move forward," said Chandimal.
Accepting the existence of magic in the world, Sarfraz said the actual magic was done by our poor performance on the ground, and nothing else, adding “luck has some role in the game of cricket, but we lost because we couldn’t grab many chances during the matches.”
Pakistan's former cricket skippers and sports analysts have also rejected Chandimal's statement, saying that such things should not be included in sports, and Pakistan lost because of poor planning and performance.
“If cricket matches could be won through witchcraft or with blessings of magicians then why Sri Lanka is facing defeats in the game. They should win all matches,” said Muhammad Yousuf, Pakistan’s former captain.
(ASIA PACIFIC DAILY)
