NEW DELHI: All-rounder
Ben Stokes talking about India's run-chase against England in the 2019 World Cup in his book has taken a new turn now with former Pakistan spinner
Mushtaq Ahmed saying that West Indies players had told him after watching the game that India lost the game to stop Pakistan from entering the knockout stages.
"I was working with the West Indies squad at last year's World Cup. After India's loss to England, Jason Holder,
Chris Gayle and
Andre Russell said to me, Mushy, India didn't want to see Pakistan qualify for the semi-finals," Mushtaq Ahmed told Pakistani news channel ARY Sports.
Stokes has denied the claims that in his latest book "Ben Stokes on Fire", he suggested that India deliberately lost to England at the 2019 World Cup in the round-robin stage.
Former Pakistan bowler
Sikander Bakht
recently claimed on Twitter that Stokes, in his book, has said that India lost intentionally to England to remove Pakistan from the World Cup. "Ben Stokes writes in his book that India lost to England deliberately to remove Pakistan from world Cup 19 and we predicted it," Bakht tweeted.
In response to Bakht's tweet, a Twitter user asked where Stokes made such comments. In response to the user's question, the star England all-rounder himself responded: "You won't find it cause I have never said it... it's called "twisting of words" or "click bait"."
IANS has also reviewed the book and there was no such mention. In his book, Stokes does talk about the approach of the Indians in that chase and how it was surprising to see them looking to keep wickets in the kitty and take the game to the backend.
Stokes, in fact, also speaks about how this might no longer be the smart way of approaching the game as the required run-rate starts piling up and it starts impacting those that come in at the fall of a wicket.
Stay updated with the latest from IPL Auction 2025, including the final squads of all 10 teams – MI, CSK, RCB, GT, RR, KKR, DC, PBKS, SRH, and LSG. Don't miss the latest updates on our Live Cricket Score page.