After Pakistan broke their World Cup jinx against India that lasted nearly two decades, experts around the world are busy finding faults in the game plan that led to the downfall of Virat Kohli and his team. 

Some are targeting the Indian batters for their miserable outings, others are questioning Indian bowlers after they failed to cause any trouble to the Pakistani openers Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan and went wicketless in the whole match.

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Going into the match India had high hopes from their mystery spinner Varun Chakaravarthy but, like other bowlers, couldn’t create even a half chance during the match as both Babar and Rizwan dealt with his variations unharmed.

Pakistani spinners Imad Wasim and Shadab Khan conceded runs at less than a run a ball in their spell whereas Chakaravarthy went for over four runs an over in his four-over spell.

© Instagram Varun Chakravarthy

Reacting to his performance, former Pakistan opener Salman Butt trolled the Indian bowler saying that he “may be a mystery bowler” but he was no surprise to their openers because most kinds in Pakistan play tape ball cricket and bowl these kinds of variations these, hence their batsmen were habitual of playing this kind of bowling from a young age.

Here’s what he said:

“Varun Chakaravarthy may be a mystery bowler but he was no surprise to us. Kids in Pakistan play a lot of tape ball cricket. Every kid in Pakistan grows up facing this kind of bowling in street cricket, where bowlers do the finger tricks with the ball and try different variations,” Butt said on his YouTube channel.

He then gave an example of how former Sri Lanka spinner Ajantha Mendis, who troubled a lot of batters in the early part of his career, had a dismal record against Pakistan and after one point they stopped playing him against Pakistan.

© Twitter KKR

“At the start of his career, Sri Lanka’s Ajantha Mendis also troubled a lot of teams with his mystery element. But his record against Pakistan isn’t great. After a while, Sri Lanka stopped playing him against Pakistan. We have never found any mystery in mystery bowling because we have grown up playing such kind of bowlers,” said the former Pakistan skipper, who was banned for life for indulging in spot-fixing.

“I don’t think India will play Chakaravarthy against Pakistan again and, if they do, expect the result to be the same. Just by looking at someone like Varun, Pakistan’s batters can figure out whether the ball is going to come in or go out. Whoever, the Indian analyst is, perhaps he wasn’t aware of the fact that the one who introduced mystery spin in world cricket, Mendis, wasn’t successful against Pakistan at all,” he added.

© Twitter BCCI

Butt’s comments didn’t strike the chord with the Indian fans and they took to the micro-blogging site to criticise the southpaw for his arrogance. No doubt, Pakistan have started their campaign with a massive win but that doesn’t guarantee them anything as yet.

Ek jeet itni hawabaji just Pakistan thing!

— Ishu (@alone_walker07) October 25, 2021

Once you win, all your statements will seem valid.

— sujit mahapatra (@sujitmahapatra) October 25, 2021

why in the world you would give space and importance to a fixer like Salman Butt

— KD (@krunal1385) October 25, 2021

"Jab din bura hota hai to Oot pe baithe insan ko bhi kutta kaat leta hai."
Ab sunna to padega.Yahi kal jit gaye hote to sab kahte what a mystery bowler he is.
Par ab .... pic.twitter.com/YbpzaE1a5r

— Praveen (@PraveenIN12345) October 25, 2021

After their historic win, the Pakistani experts have every right to praise their team but pulling an opposition player down can’t be justified. He must get off his high horse as the whole tournament is still to be played, unless of course if Butt actually believes what their interior minister Sheikh Rasheed said “for us it was our final”.

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