New Delhi: When the whole of India will be rooting for Virat Kohli in the Champions Trophy, Pakistan captain Sarfraz Ahmed won’t even have the support of his maternal uncle. His uncle would be cheering for the Men in Blue in full throttle when the epic final gets under way in Oval.
Mehboob Hasan, the maternal uncle of Sarfraz Ahmed is an Indian and doesn’t let the love for his nephew come in the way of his loyalty towards India. The 52-year-old head clerk in Uttar Pradesh’s agricultural college believes India will again get the better of Pakistan in the big final.
“His team cannot match our team. We have better players and our team is superior. I can bet that India will win the trophy,” said Hasan to Hindustan Times.
Does that mean he is against his own nephew? Not at all. In fact he shares a close bond with Sarfraz and his brother elder brother Shafiq. He is still their dear ‘mamu’.
“He (Sarfraz) has really worked hard, and I am really proud of him. He is very obedient and caring,” Mehboob says.
Sarfraz has always taken time out from his busy schedule to meet his mamu. The Pakistan captain met his uncle during the World T20 in 2016.
Despite visa issues, Mehboob managed to go to Pakistan in 2015 to attend Sarfraz’s wedding, where he was introduced to all the Pakistan cricketers.
Mehbbob continues to share a beautiful bond with his nephew and doesn’t let the cross-border tension or the result of a cricket match affect it. On Sunday afternoon also, he will sit in front of his TV with the confidence of an India win and hope to get another chance of getting a dig at this nephew.