Pakistan PM Mocked Online After Congratulating Team Over India Match
Listen to the story
Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has been criticized online after he congratulated the national cricket team for a win over India in the Hong Kong Sixes tournament.
The format of this tournament is shorter and less serious than normal cricket matches. Pakistan beat India in one of their games, and Sharif quickly shared a public message of congratulations.
However, social media users pointed out that Sharif did not mention another result from the same tournament: Pakistan's loss to the UAE.
A former Pakistani cricketer responded to the Prime Minister's post with a fact check, reminding people about the loss that had been left out of the celebration.
This led to many users mocking Sharif online, accusing him of only celebrating convenient results while staying silent about losses.
Some critics joked that Sharif would even congratulate the team for winning a coin toss, suggesting he celebrates anything related to a win against India, no matter how small.
The incident quickly became a popular topic of discussion on social media platforms in both Pakistan and India, where cricket rivalries between the two countries often attract strong public reactions.
Matches between India and Pakistan tend to get much more attention than games against other teams, which may explain why Sharif chose to highlight this particular result.
Vocabulary7 words
- criticized
- told that someone did something wrong
- congratulations
- words said to celebrate good news
- social media
- websites and apps where people share messages
- fact check
- checking if information is true
- mocking
- making fun of someone
- critics
- people who say something is wrong or bad
- coin toss
- a quick decision made by flipping a coin
📚 Ready to use these words in a real conversation?
Practice live with a real tutor on Preply.
Quiz
Answer key
1. Winning against India 2. A former cricketer 3. True
✅ Nice work on the quiz!
Keep the momentum going — book a live English lesson with a Preply tutor.
Fill-in-the-blank listening
Play the audio again and fill in the missing words as you listen.
Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has been _____ online after he congratulated the national cricket team for a win over India in the Hong Kong Sixes tournament.
The format of this tournament is shorter and less serious than normal cricket matches. Pakistan beat India in one of their games, and Sharif quickly shared a public message of _____.
However, _____ users pointed out that Sharif did not mention another result from the same tournament: Pakistan's loss to the UAE.
A former Pakistani cricketer responded to the Prime Minister's post with a _____, reminding people about the loss that had been left out of the celebration.
This led to many users _____ Sharif online, accusing him of only celebrating convenient results while staying silent about losses.
Some _____ joked that Sharif would even congratulate the team for winning a _____, suggesting he celebrates anything related to a win against India, no matter how small.
The incident quickly became a popular topic of discussion on social media platforms in both Pakistan and India, where cricket rivalries between the two countries often attract strong public reactions.
Discussion questions
- Why do you think matches between India and Pakistan get so much attention?
- Do you think leaders should be careful about what they celebrate publicly? Why or why not?
- Have you ever seen a public figure criticized online for something similar?
- Why might fact-checking matter in situations like this?
🎓 Enjoyed this story?
Turn today's reading into real speaking practice with a live Preply tutor.