Veteran Pakistani pacer Mohammad Amir earned plenty of flak from fans on social media after his 'angry throw' at the national campaign Babar Azam during a Pakistan Super League (PSL) match. While Amir backed his act by suggesting pace bowlers need to show such aggression on the field, fellow speedster Shaheen Afridi isn't in sync with the senior bowler's beliefs. After being informed of what Amir had to say about the Babar incident, Afridi was left in utter shock.

"These kinds of matchups and player rivalries keep players on their toes. I personally like these sort of challenges because it keeps me focused. My job is to take wickets and win matches for my team, so for me, facing Babar or a tailender batting at number 10 will be the same," Amir had said on ARY news.

On being informed about the veteran pacer's comments, Shaheen had to confirm if this was actually what Amir had said.

"He really said that for Babar? That's surprising. If you go anywhere in the world and say that Babar is playing for us, they will say 'Oh, Babar! (He's a) King," Afridi told Pakistan in a chat on Geo News.

"This shouldn't happen. Babar is our no.1 player and we respect him. If we, as Pakistanis, won't respect him, who else will do?"Afridi further said.

Even the veteran Pakistani cricketer Shoaib Malik was had a few words to say about Amir's actions. While he admitted that rivalry is healthy for the league, he also asserted the importance of having mutual respect for each other.

"One thing should not be missing and that is respect. I have seen that Babar, Amir and Imad respect each other when they meet," Malik had said, as per Cricket Pakistan.

"The rivalry is healthy for the league. You should give your best when you are in the field. It is your responsibility how to motivate yourself. If something encourages you to get the best out of you, then you should definitely do that. The good thing is everyone respects each other and doesn't cross the line," he had added.