As Pakistan finished ahead of India in the ‘60-second challenge’ at the opening ceremony of the ICC World Cup 2019, Nobel laureate Malala Yousafzai, who was representing her country at the game, took a dig at the arch-rivals.
“Pakistan, we were okay, not too bad, came No 7…. but India came last,” she said after the event.
The ‘60-second challenge’ was played between the representatives of all participating teams. Each pair of two batsmen was given a chance to score as many runs as possible in sixty seconds. ICC-affiliated match referee David Boon undertook the role of the umpire.
India, who were represented by former Test captain Anil Kumble and Bollywood actor Farhan Akhtar scored the least, 19 runs, while Pakistan represented by Malala and Azhar Ali scored 38 runs.
Kevin Pietersen, partnered with Chris Hughes, led England to an emphatic win with a total score of 74.
Other former cricketers like Jacques Kallis, Viv Richards and Brett Lee also participated in the game.
Speaking further, Malala also stressed upon the importance of women taking up sports. “Right now were are seeing more and more women taking part in sporting activities. In Pakistan, we have some amazing cricketers, including Sana Mir. These role models are inspiring women to believe in themselves that they are capable of anything. Women should engage more in sports and we all have to contribute to that and encourage women and girls," she said.
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